British health official says too soon to declare Kent meningitis outbreak contained

Authorities reported seven new cases of the disease that has killed two people so far. Read more at straitstimes.com.

LONDON - A British health official said on March 19 it was too soon to declare that a meningitis outbreak in southeast England has been contained, as authorities reported seven new cases of the disease that has killed two people so far.

The UK Health Security Agency said the total number of confirmed cases had risen to 27, affecting students at four schools in the county of Kent as well as one student in London.

“We are not in the position yet to say definitively that it’s been contained,” Dr Anjan Ghosh, Director of Public Health at Kent County Council, told BBC Radio, adding that secondary transmissions needed to be ruled out.

In a typical year, Britain sees about 350 cases, roughly one per day, according to government estimates.

A 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a teenage student at a school in the town of Faversham have died in the current outbreak.

Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can include fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, and cold hands and feet. Septicaemia can also cause a rash that does not fade ​when pressed with a glass.