UK Health Security Agency confirms meningitis cases are now up to 20, as GPs told to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who’s been to the Canterbury outbreak epicentre
Five new meningitis cases have been reported as GPs across the country have been issued a warning to stop it spreading.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed the extra cases taking the total number of victims of the Kent outbreak to 20. GPs across the country have been ordered to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who says they attended the “super spreader event” at a nightclub in Canterbury amid fears students may be carrying the bacteria to other parts of the country.
A UKHSA spokesperson said: “GPs across the country will today be advised to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry between March 5-7 and to University of Kent students, if they have been asked to seek preventative treatment. This is so that anyone who has travelled home, or away from Kent, can easily access this important preventative treatment close to them.”
Anyone at the club that weekend or who attended after parties at University of Kent halls of residence is at risk, particularly from spread via kissing or the sharing or drinks or vapes.
The UKHSA said that as of 5pm on Tuesday some 20 cases of meningitis had been reported to it, up from 15 on Tuesday. Of these, nine cases have been confirmed in the lab and 11 remain under investigation. Six of the confirmed cases have been confirmed as the meningitis B strain.
READ MORE: Meningitis ‘new strain’ fears – everything you need to knowREAD MORE: Fifth school confirms pupil has meningitis as Kent outbreak declared ‘national incident’
The spokesperson continued: “All those affected who are currently linked to the outbreak are young adults. UKHSA is aware of a baby with confirmed meningococcal group B infection who is not currently linked to the outbreak but UKHSA will continue to investigate this case.”
GPs nationwide have been told to be alert to anyone who may have attended Club Chemistry that weekend. There are fears that students may be carrying the MenB bacteria and have left Kent and be at home with their families in other parts of the country.
Trish Mannes, UKHSA regional deputy director for the South East, said: “Around 2,500 doses of antibiotics have now been administered across sites in Kent and we continue to encourage close contacts to come forward for the treatment.
“This includes those offered at the University of Kent and anyone who visited Club Chemistry between March 5-7. This is the main intervention that will help protect people and halt the spread of the outbreak.
“As a further precaution and together with the NHS, we are beginning to roll out a targeted menB vaccination programme. This will initially be offered to 5,000 university of Kent students resident at the Canterbury campus, with the possibility that it may be extended, as it is kept under continual review.
“If you think you may have symptoms of meningitis, don’t hesitate to seek medical help by contacting your GP or calling NHS 111. Seeking early treatment can save lives.”
Two students have died during the outbreak, including 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, who was studying for her A-Levels. The number of cases is expected to rise because the incubation period for the infection to when symptoms appear is two to 14 days. The outbreak is being viewed by experts as unprecedented owing to the high number of cases appearing in such a short space of time.
A meeting of local Integrated Care Board officials and UKHSA regional staff is taking place on Wednesday morning, with an announcement expected later on the vaccine rollout. The UKHSA stressed there is plenty of NHS stocks of menB vaccines after pharmacies reported they were struggling to obtain stock for people who want to pay privately.
All reported cases so far have a link to Kent, according to the UKHSA. At least one person who fell ill and had links to Kent attended a London hospital but officials say the risk of spread in the capital is low.
The UKHSA stressed that people should not skip antibiotics if prescribed them, with a single tablet of Ciprofloxacin reducing the risk of meningitis in a household by about 80% to 90%.
UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said: “This looks like a super-spreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities. There will have been some parties, particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing.
“I can’t yet say where the initial infection came from, how it’s got into this cohort, and why it’s created such an explosive amount of infections. I can say that in my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single weekend with this type of infection.
“It’s the explosive nature that is unprecedented here – the number of cases in such a short space of time. NHS were initially managing it as a major incident in the region but they have now increased that overlay to having a national-level oversight as well.”
