16/03/2026
๐จ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ: More antibiotic hubs are now available, more information can be found here: https://www.kentandmedway.icb.nhs.uk/news/meningitis-outbreak-in-the-canterbury-area-4187
๐จ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ: ๐ข๐๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ?
Between 13 and 15 March 2026, the UKHSA was made aware of thirteen cases of invasive meningococcal disease.
Sadly, two people are known to have died.
UKHSA, the University of Kent and the local health system are working together to respond to the outbreak and support those affected.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐?13
UKHSA has worked with the University of Kent to provide advice letters to all 16,000 students, advising on recent cases, signs and symptoms, how to obtain antibiotics, and what to do if they feel unwell.
Antibiotics are being made available to students and distributed at a dedicated site on campus.
UKHSA staff continue to contact trace family and friends of known cases to identify anyone else who may be at risk, and to establish a clearer picture of the events leading to this cluster of cases.
UKHSA has worked with the local NHS Trust and NHS Kent and Medway to ensure hospital staff and GPs are aware and to be vigilant for possible cases in any patients.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ?
Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious illness caused by meningococcal bacteria, which can lead to meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
The onset of illness is often sudden, and early diagnosis and treatment are vital.
๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ?
The specific strain has not yet been identified.
Investigations are ongoing and we will share further information as it becomes available.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐?
UKHSA specialists are interviewing affected individuals and their families to identify close contacts and arrange antibiotics to limit further spread.
Close contacts of cases have already been given antibiotics as a precautionary measure.
Advice and support is being offered to the wider university community, and to local hospitals and NHS 111.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ?
Symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can include:
A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass
Sudden onset of high fever
Severe and worsening headache
Stiff neck
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Joint and muscle pain
Dislike of bright lights
Very cold hands and feet
Seizures
Confusion or delirium
Extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ?
If you or someone you know develops symptoms of meningitis or septicaemia, seek medical help urgently by going to the nearest Accident and Emergency department or calling 999. If a friend goes to bed unwell, check on them regularly. Early treatment can be lifesaving. You can call NHS 111 if you are concerned.
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ:
๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐&๐.
๐๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ: ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ.๐๐๐ต๐ฝ๐@๐ป๐ต๐.๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ.
๐๐บ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ธ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ?
The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school Years 9 and 10.
However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as MenB, can circulate among young adults. This is why it is important for everyone to know the signs and symptoms regardless of vaccination status.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐?
NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis.
Meningitis Research Foundation: www.meningitis.org | 0808 800 3344 (24 hours).
Meningitis Now: www.meningitisnow.org | 0808 80 10 388 (9am-8pm).
The latest information and updates from NHS Kent and Medway.
