The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that as of Wednesday evening, it has identified six new cases of meningococcal disease in Kent, bringing the total of confirmed or suspected cases to at least 27.
So far, 15 cases have been laboratory-confirmed, while 12 remain under investigation. Two people have died.
Most cases have been linked to the Club Chemistry nightclub in Kent, with exposure dates between 5 and 7 March 2025.
The agency also addressed a separate case involving an infant, saying: “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.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that around 2,500 doses of antibiotics have already been distributed, while a targeted vaccination programme for 5,000 students has begun. More than 900 students have been vaccinated.
As part of containment efforts, he said general practitioners across the country “have been advised to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry between 5 and 7 March and to University of Kent students, if they have been asked to seek preventative treatment.”
This evening (18th March), Canterbury Christ Church University confirmed one of their students have contracted the disease and is supporting them.
In a statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Streeting added that French authorities had alerted UKHSA to a second confirmed case in France involving someone who had attended the University of Kent.
French authorities said the patient is receiving treatment and that the situation is being managed.
Meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. It most commonly affects babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
Symptoms include fever, vomiting, severe headache, rash, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, drowsiness, difficulty waking and seizures.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran t...
British lawmakers on Tuesday voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament over his decision to app...
Five million children across Sudan’s Darfur region are facing extreme deprivation, the United Nations childr...
Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying as Israeli strikes push deeper into the Bekaa Valley, fuelling fears of wider escalation ...
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U....
Nearly one million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET), a new report warns, placing Britain among the worst-performing wealthy European nations.
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States on Monday afternoon for a four-day visit. The visit has gained added prominence following the White House Correspondents’ dinner shooting and growing tensions between the close allies.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have begun a landmark visit to the U.S., aimed at reinforcing ties between the two allies at a sensitive moment. The trip comes as security concerns rise in Washington and political tensions persist over foreign policy.
Adidas shares rose after Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe delivered a historic performance at the London Marathon on Sunday (26 April), becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon in under two hours.
Disney+ has debuted Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language, a new collection of animated musical sequences reimagined in American Sign Language (ASL), released on 27 April to mark National Deaf History Month.
Market reaction to DeepSeek’s preview of its next-generation artificial intelligence model has been relatively subdued, in sharp contrast to the global shock triggered by its breakthrough releases last year.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
Adidas shares rose after Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe delivered a historic performance at the London Marathon on Sunday (26 April), becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon in under two hours.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
Jars of baby food deliberately tampered with rat poison and discovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were part of an attempted extortion plot targeting manufacturer HiPP, German police said on Monday.
More than half of Haiti’s population is facing acute food insecurity, prompting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to warn that recent progress in tackling hunger remains fragile and could quickly be reversed without urgent support.
A Chinese biotechnology company is stepping up efforts to combine artificial intelligence (AI) with advanced genetic testing in a bid to improve the success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF), while also tapping into growing demand for fertility services.
Austria’s government on Friday approved plans to introduce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under the age of 14, alongside reforms to upper secondary school curricula aimed at boosting media literacy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) education from the 2027/28 academic year.
The Scottish Parliament has voted against legalising assisted dying, ending a years-long campaign to make Scotland the first part of the UK to allow the practice.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment