Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Two young deaths in Kent.
Four of 15 cases are Meningitis B
Caused by meningococcal bacteria, not viral
Meningococcal disease can progress rapidly
Check friends who are off sick
Officials fear the outbreak has already spread beyond Kent
UKHSA admitted it knew a cluster of cases a full day before telling the public on Sunday night.
gov.uk/government/news/cases-of-invasive-meningococcal-disease-confirmed-in-kent
Meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia
Classic triad
Pyrexia, headache, meningism
Meningism
Headache, photophobia, neck stiffness, lower back signs
A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass
Sudden onset of high fever
Severe and worsening headache
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Joint and muscle pain
Very cold hands and feet
Seizures
Confusion/delirium
Extreme sleepiness/difficulty waking
Incubation period is from two to seven days
Onset of disease varies from mild prodromal symptoms to fulminant illness with death occurring within 24 hours of the first symptoms.
The infection is fatal in 5% to 10% of cases
Do not rely on spotting the rash, which is linked to sepsis
Rash can occur alongside meningitis but does not happen in every case.
Many people with meningitis never develop a rash at all.
Survivors may develop severe long-term complications including hearing loss, severe visual impairment, communication problems, limb amputation(s), seizures, and brain damage.
Useful points
Paracetamol will lower temperature
Good nutrition and vitamin D
Transmission
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849adb83a2aa5ba84d1df71/Meningococcal-green_book_chapter-22-10-6-25.pdf
Aerosol, droplets, or direct contact with respiratory secretions of
someone carrying the organism.
Close / prolonged contact is necessary
There is a marked seasonal variation in meningococcal disease, with peak
levels in the winter months declining to low levels by late summer.
This outbreak
Antibiotics being given to people who attended Club Chemistry on March 5,6,7th
Highly effective at preventing the disease and transmission
Routine childhood immunisations, those aged over 10 have not received it
Vaccination soon, Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence at the University of Kent
Current vaccines are NOT live and NOT mRNA based
Young people going on to university or college for the first time,
particularly at risk of meningitis,
mix with other students, some of whom are unknowingly carrying the bacteria at the back of their nose and throat.
MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS AND SEPTICAEMIA
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849adb83a2aa5ba84d1df71/Meningococcal-green_book_chapter-22-10-6-25.pdf
nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/vaccination
Meningeal layers, Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
Meningococci are Gram-negative diplococci,
Divided into antigenically distinct, polysaccharide capsule groups.
A, B, C, E, H, I, K, L, W, X, Y, and Z, groups B, C, W and Y are the most common causes of invasive disease in the UK.
Meningococci colonise the nasopharynx of humans, especially adolescents and young adults, and are frequently harmless commensals.
It is not fully understood why disease develops in some individuals but not in others.
Age, season, smoking, preceding viral infection and living in ‘closed’ or ‘semi-closed’ communities, such as university halls of residence or military barracks
Two young deaths in Kent.
Four of 15 cases are Meningitis B
Caused by meningococcal bacteria, not viral
Meningococcal disease can progress rapidly
Check friends who are off sick
Officials fear the outbreak has already spread beyond Kent
UKHSA admitted it knew a cluster of cases a full day before telling the public on Sunday night.
gov.uk/government/news/cases-of-invasive-meningococcal-disease-confirmed-in-kent
Meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia
Classic triad
Pyrexia, headache, meningism
Meningism
Headache, photophobia, neck stiffness, lower back signs
A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass
Sudden onset of high fever
Severe and worsening headache
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Joint and muscle pain
Very cold hands and feet
Seizures
Confusion/delirium
Extreme sleepiness/difficulty waking
Incubation period is from two to seven days
Onset of disease varies from mild prodromal symptoms to fulminant illness with death occurring within 24 hours of the first symptoms.
The infection is fatal in 5% to 10% of cases
Do not rely on spotting the rash, which is linked to sepsis
Rash can occur alongside meningitis but does not happen in every case.
Many people with meningitis never develop a rash at all.
Survivors may develop severe long-term complications including hearing loss, severe visual impairment, communication problems, limb amputation(s), seizures, and brain damage.
Useful points
Paracetamol will lower temperature
Good nutrition and vitamin D
Transmission
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849adb83a2aa5ba84d1df71/Meningococcal-green_book_chapter-22-10-6-25.pdf
Aerosol, droplets, or direct contact with respiratory secretions of
someone carrying the organism.
Close / prolonged contact is necessary
There is a marked seasonal variation in meningococcal disease, with peak
levels in the winter months declining to low levels by late summer.
This outbreak
Antibiotics being given to people who attended Club Chemistry on March 5,6,7th
Highly effective at preventing the disease and transmission
Routine childhood immunisations, those aged over 10 have not received it
Vaccination soon, Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence at the University of Kent
Current vaccines are NOT live and NOT mRNA based
Young people going on to university or college for the first time,
particularly at risk of meningitis,
mix with other students, some of whom are unknowingly carrying the bacteria at the back of their nose and throat.
MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS AND SEPTICAEMIA
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849adb83a2aa5ba84d1df71/Meningococcal-green_book_chapter-22-10-6-25.pdf
nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/vaccination
Meningeal layers, Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
Meningococci are Gram-negative diplococci,
Divided into antigenically distinct, polysaccharide capsule groups.
A, B, C, E, H, I, K, L, W, X, Y, and Z, groups B, C, W and Y are the most common causes of invasive disease in the UK.
Meningococci colonise the nasopharynx of humans, especially adolescents and young adults, and are frequently harmless commensals.
It is not fully understood why disease develops in some individuals but not in others.
Age, season, smoking, preceding viral infection and living in ‘closed’ or ‘semi-closed’ communities, such as university halls of residence or military barracks
