The British health minister on Tuesday, March 17th described a deadly outbreak of meningitis linked to a nightclub as “unprecedented” after two students died and 13 people were hospitalised.
Health Minister Wes Streeting told parliament that the outbreak was a “rapidly developing situation” with the number of confirmed cases rising to 15.
The UK Health Security Agency has reported two dead from the outbreak in Kent in southeastern England—a 21-year-old university student and an 18-year-old school pupil.
The outbreak has been linked to Club Chemistry in the city of Canterbury, a large three-storey venue popular with students.
The health security agency said that it had been “notified of 15 cases,” including those who died, up from 13 previously reported.
Four cases have been identified as Meningitis B, a bacterial strain rarer and deadlier than the viral type, it said. Both cause an infection affecting the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
While Meningitis is most common in young children, teenagers, and young adults, Meningitis B causes death in around one in 10 cases, according to the National Health Service.
It can spread through close contact, including “prolonged kissing or sharing vapes and drinks,” noted Streeting.
The focus of public health measures was on the University of Kent, which has around 18,000 students, some of whom are among those hospitalised with meningitis.
The university held a clinic offering antibiotics on Tuesday as students lined up for treatment. Streeting also announced a vaccination programme for students living in university halls.
The minister added that French authorities reported a case on Saturday involving a person in France who had attended the University of Kent, without providing further details.
