- Two individuals have died following an outbreak of invasive meningitis in Kent, with 13 cases identified by the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) between Friday and Sunday.
- Health officials are arranging antibiotics for University of Kent students in the Canterbury area as a precautionary measure. On Tuesday, it was confirmed at least some of the cases were group B meningococcus bacteria - the most common and deadly strain.
- Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, with bacterial forms being rarer but more serious, and up to one in ten cases proving fatal.
- Early symptoms include high temperature, headache, vomiting, and muscle pain, with advice to seek immediate medical help via 999 or A&E if suspected, without waiting for a rash to appear.
- Specifically Meningitis B symptoms include a sudden, rapid progression of symptoms (often within hours), the presence of cold hands and feet despite high fever, and a rash that doesn’t go away under the pressure of a glass.
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