The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is looking into a case where a student studying outside of Kent was admitted to the hospital with meningitis, as disclosed by the Mirror. This incident occurred following the identification of the strain responsible for the recent outbreak over the weekend.
Escape Studios, a school specializing in game development, VFX, and animation located in North Greenwich, notified students via email on Tuesday morning about a fellow student who was hospitalized and diagnosed with meningitis. The school expressed well wishes for the student’s speedy recovery and mentioned that the UKHSA is evaluating the situation, identifying close contacts, and determining necessary actions.
The specific connection of the hospitalized student to the 20 cases linked to the Kent outbreak remains uncertain. UKHSA will directly contact individuals identified as close contacts for further instructions. The UKHSA and Escape Studios declined to comment on the case related to London.
In Kent, the meningitis outbreak resulted in the death of two individuals and hospitalization of 11 others, with ongoing investigations to ascertain any potential links between the cases. One of the deceased, identified as Juliette, a Year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, was described as a kind and intelligent individual by her family and headteacher.
Another fatality in the outbreak, a 21-year-old Kent University student, remains unnamed. Multiple individuals, including students, have been hospitalized, some placed in induced comas. The UKHSA reported a total of 15 cases, with all requiring hospitalization and four confirmed as meningitis B infections.
Efforts are underway to address the outbreak affecting the University of Kent, with individuals who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on specific dates urged to seek antibiotics as a precaution. The UKHSA has advised over 16,000 staff and students at the University of Kent, offering antibiotics to those in need. The number of cases under investigation has increased to 20 from the initial 15.
While there is a meningitis B vaccination, it was introduced in 2015, leaving a significant portion of young people unprotected unless they received the vaccine privately.