Meningitis Outbreak in Berkshire: One Death, Two Hospitalized

A young person has died and two others are being treated after an outbreak of meningitis in Berkshire, health officials have said. It follows a major outbreak in Kent, linked to a Canterbury nightclub, that killed two people and left more than a dozen needing hospital treatment in March. On Thursday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed new cases had been found in Reading and that a student had died.

“We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student,” said Dr Rachel Mearkle, a consultant in health protection. “Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases. However, meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks, as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.

“We are working closely with partners and have provided public health advice and precautionary antibiotic treatment to close contacts of the cases. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily and the risk to the wider public remains low.” Health officials said close contacts of the cases were being offered antibiotics as a precaution. “One case been confirmed as meningitis B (MenB) and we are awaiting further testing results.” While they said information was being sent to “students and parents at all affected schools”, officials did not specify how the cases were linked. Mearkle said: “Anyone can get meningitis, and around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England every year. It’s most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. It needs to be treated quickly so it is important to know the signs and symptoms. They can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern.

“Signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and sepsis can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting and cold hands and feet. Sepsis can also cause a characteristic rash that does not fade when pressed against a glass.” UKHSA said young people “should check that they are up to date with their vaccinations, including the MenACWY vaccine which is offered in school years 9 and 10 but remains free on the NHS until the age of 25, although it does not protect against all strains”. The organisation added that other strains, such as MenB, could circulate among young adults. “It is important for everyone to know the signs and symptoms regardless of vaccination status.”