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Meningitis strain behind outbreak leaving two dead identified as officials race to prevent nationwide spread

Home> News> UK News

Updated 20:08 17 Mar 2026 GMTPublished 08:24 17 Mar 2026 GMT

Meningitis strain behind outbreak leaving two dead identified as officials race to prevent nationwide spread

An outbreak of meningitis has left two people dead

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

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Health experts have identified a strain of meningitis which is part of the outbreak in Kent that has left two people dead and a further 11 confirmed infected.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is currently investigating the outbreak, has confirmed that some of the cases they have identified are meningitis B.

Officials said they would seek to confirm the strain in their other cases and would provide further information 'when we have the full results'.

A Year 13 pupil in Faversham called Juliette and a student at the University of Kent have died, while others required hospital treatment and some were put into an induced coma for treatment.

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People who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on 5, 6 and 7 March have been encouraged to get preventative antibiotic treatment as a 'precautionary measure'.

Some of the cases of the recent outbreak are meningitis B, officials are investigating to see if the other confirmed cases are from the same strain (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Some of the cases of the recent outbreak are meningitis B, officials are investigating to see if the other confirmed cases are from the same strain (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

The club owner, Louise Jones-Roberts, told PA that over 2,000 people entered the venue over those three days and the people who did will need tracing for antibiotics to help curb the spread of the strain.

She confirmed that 90 of her 95 staff had been contacted for antibiotics and that the club would be closed until further notice. Jones-Roberts later told the BBC that one of her staff members was among the 11 confirmed infections and was in hospital getting treatment.

The UKHSA's Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam explained that the meningitis outbreak was still contained in the area around Kent, and they hadn't seen signs of it going nationwide.

She said: "As serious and devastating as this current outbreak is, it’s very much contained in the local area in Canterbury and Kent, we’re not seeing this spread more widely.

"It really requires very close, prolonged contact or intimate contact such as kissing."

People queue up at the University of Kent for antibiotics, as health experts say they believe the outbreak is still contained in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
People queue up at the University of Kent for antibiotics, as health experts say they believe the outbreak is still contained in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Clinics around Kent and Canterbury have been opened to provide antibiotics and people are showing up to get treatment which could help slow the spread of disease.

One of the particular dangers of meningitis B is that many people are not vaccinated against it.

Routine vaccination for babies and children for meningitis B was started in 2015, so most young people born before then are not protected against the strain.

What are the symptoms of meningitis?

People who visited Chemistry Club in Canterbury between 5 and 7 March have been encouraged to get antibiotics (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
People who visited Chemistry Club in Canterbury between 5 and 7 March have been encouraged to get antibiotics (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Symptoms of meningitis can initially be mistaken for a cold or flu, though doctors warn it can become a very serious health risk in a matter of hours and people falling ill should not be left alone in case their condition deteriorates rapidly.

The symptoms can include:

  • Fever
  • A very bad headache
  • Vomiting
  • Stiff neck
  • Dislike of bright lights
  • Rash
  • Confusion or delirium
  • Severe sleepiness, losing consciousness
  • Fits

A person with meningitis may not get all of these symptoms, and it can result in blood poisoning or sepsis.

Featured Image Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

Topics: Health, UK News

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

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@MrJoeHarker

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