United Kingdom on alert after two students die from meningitis B

The deaths of two students from an outbreak of meningitis B (MenB) in Kent, about 90 kilometers southeast of London, have forced British authorities to activate emergency measures to prevent its spread. Nine cases have been confirmed since Saturday and up to Wednesday morning, while eleven more are still being analyzed. In response, the British government launched an urgent and targeted vaccination program on Wednesday for 5,000 students at the University of Kent (in Canterbury), the main epicenter of the outbreak, along with four secondary schools in the area. In addition, health services began distributing preventative antibiotics on Monday to students who may have been exposed to the bacteria. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 2,500 doses have already been distributed. British Health Secretary Wes Streeting appeared before Parliament yesterday and described the situation as "unprecedented" and "rapidly evolving." However, in an interview this morning on the BBC, he assured that the risk to the general population "is very low," although the disease is "extremely serious." According to information Streeting provided to the House of Commons, most of the infections are linked to parties held on March 5, 6, and 7 at the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury. Subsequent interaction among students is believed to have contributed to the spread. The two fatalities are a Year 6 student (between 16 and 18 years old) from Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham, 15 kilometers from Canterbury, and a student from the University of Kent. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has already contacted more than 30,000 students, teachers, and family members to inform them of the risks and advise them on the preventative measures they should take. General practitioners across the country have also been instructed to prescribe preventative antibiotics to all students who were at the Canterbury Chemistry Club and have since returned home for the Easter holidays. British health authorities are also investigating a possible case in France linked to a student who had recently been in Canterbury. Meanwhile, the case of a baby in London identified as having meningitis B is not related to the Kent outbreak. Around 350 cases of MenB are recorded annually in the UK. Some university students are not immune.

Meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and can progress very rapidly. In the case of bacterial meningitis, such as MenB, it can lead to sepsis and be fatal if not treated with antibiotics in the hospital. Initial symptoms can be mistaken for the flu or a hangover, with high fever, headache, vomiting, and stiff neck. In severe cases, a skin rash may appear.

The bacteria responsible for the outbreak do not come from an external source but are normally present in some people. Meningitis B is caused by meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidisMeningitis B, a bacterium that can live in the nose and throat without causing symptoms, affects between 5% and 10% of the population, a proportion that can reach 20% among young people. Meningitis is transmitted through close personal contact, such as kissing, sharing drinks, or using the same e-cigarettes. This is why outbreaks are more frequent in environments with close contact, such as student residences, parties, or schools. Most carriers do not become ill, but the bacteria can cause very serious infections in some cases. The meningitis B vaccine was not introduced into the UK's mandatory vaccination schedule until 2015, meaning that a large proportion of current university students are not immunized.

Streeting has ruled out, for the time being, the closure of schools or universities, although both the university administration and the various student associations have suspended public events scheduled for the coming days and have switched from in-person classes to online classes. The aim is to contain the outbreak before university students return home next week for the Easter holidays.