Two people have died following an outbreak of meningitis in Kent.<\/p>\n
The death of a year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham was confirmed by the local MP on Monday. The second person who died was a student at the University of Kent.<\/p>\n
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was notified of 13 cases with signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia from Friday to Sunday in the Canterbury area.<\/p>\n
Health experts are arranging antibiotics for some other students in the area as a precaution against the dangerous infection.<\/p>\n
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.<\/p>\n
It can affect anyone but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. It can be very serious if not treated quickly.<\/p>\n
The cause of the infection – either a certain bacteria or virus – can be determined by tests.<\/p>\n
Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis. It can lead to blood poisoning or sepsis, and can affect the brain.<\/p>\n
This acute, severe infection is known as invasive meningitis. It means the infection has invaded into the blood stream or brain linings.<\/p>\n
Both people who have died in the invasive meningitis outbreak in Kent are believed to be aged between 18 and 21.<\/p>\n
The specific strain of meningitis has not yet been identified.<\/p>\n
Symptoms can develop suddenly and can include:<\/p>\n
Some people can carry bacteria in their nose without getting sick, but can spread it to others in spit or saliva through coughs and sneezes, kissing and sharing utensils.<\/p>\n
The infection can also be spread by someone with meningitis, although this is less common.<\/p>\n
It’s possible to get meningitis more than once.<\/p>\n
The BBC understands the outbreak in Kent is thought to be linked to a social event in Canterbury, which some of those who fell ill attended.<\/p>\n
Outbreaks of meningococcal disease are rare, but can occur in settings where people group together, such as college campuses.<\/p>\n
The best way to stop the disease spreading is by giving antibiotics to people who may have come into contact with the disease when there is a local outbreak.<\/p>\n
Some students in the Canterbury area of Kent are being given this treatment as a precaution after a number of cases of invasive meningococcal disease, even though the specific strain has not been identified.<\/p>\n
Several vaccinations help protect against meningitis.<\/p>\n
The MenACWY vaccine offers protection against four types of bacteria that can cause meningitis – meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y – and is offered to teenagers aged 14 years old.<\/p>\n
The MenB vaccine helps protect against meningococcal group B bacteria and is recommended for babies aged eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 12 weeks and a booster at one year.<\/p>\n
A six-in-one vaccine given to young children – also known as the DTaP\/IPV\/Hib\/Hep B vaccine – offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).<\/p>\n
A pneumococcal vaccine offers protection against serious infections caused by pneumococcal bacteria, including meningitis.<\/p>\n
The MMR vaccine offers protection against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Meningitis can sometimes occur as a complication of some of these infections.<\/p>\n
Anyone becoming unwell with symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia should seek medical help urgently at the closest Accident and Emergency Department or by dialling 999.<\/p>\n
Early treatment can be lifesaving.<\/p>\n
Students in the affected area of Canterbury are being advised to trust their instincts – do not wait for all symptoms to appear or for a rash to develop before seeking help.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Students are particularly at risk of missing the early warning signs of meningitis because they can be easily confused with other illnesses such as a bad cold, flu or even a hangover,\u00a0\u00bb warn health officials.<\/p>\n
Students should check on their friends regularly if they go to bed unwell and urged them not to hesitate before seeking medical help via their GP or the 111 service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two people have died following an outbreak of meningitis in Kent. The death of a year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham was confirmed by the local MP on Monday. The second person who died was a student at the University of Kent. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9899","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9899\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}