- The number of confirmed cases may rise to 20.
- The infection is linked to the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury.
- An epidemic of meningitis B claimed the lives of two young people.
- Doctors are to prescribe antibiotics to all club visitors and university students.
- Meningitis B can cause limb amputations or death without prompt treatment.
An epidemic of meningitis B that broke out in southeast England claimed the lives of two young people in the university town of Canterbury. The Public Health Office is waiting for the test results of another 11 people, which would increase the total number of confirmed cases to 20.
The first case of infection was reported last Friday (March 13). Over the weekend, one university student and one schoolgirl died and several others were hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities said the infection was linked to a local nightclub, Club Chemistry, in Canterbury. In a related development, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged young people who visited the club on March 5, 6 or 7 to report and start taking prescribed antibiotics. Health experts are also trying to identify close contacts of the infected.
Doctors across the country have been instructed to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry between March 5 and 7as well as University of Kent students who were asked to take preventive antibiotic treatment to prevent the development of the disease, even if they themselves do not yet have symptoms of the disease.
AFP added that HUNDREDS of students, covering their noses and mouths with masks, lined up on Wednesday at the University of Kent campus to be vaccinated against meningitis. One of the students, 18-year-old Holly Francis, explained that she decided to get vaccinated “to be extra safe.” British Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that “the overall risk (of infection) is low, although the disease itself is extremely serious.”
Meningitis B is a serious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group B. It affects the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meninges). and can spread quickly through long-term close contact, such as kissing or sharing drinks or e-cigarettes.
If the disease is not treated in time, it can lead to brain damage, hearing loss, limb amputations or death. Treatment includes antibiotics, which are given immediately after an infection is suspected. Preventive vaccination against meningitis B is part of the vaccination schedule for children in many countries and is also recommended for young adults in epidemic outbreaks.
In Britain, children are routinely vaccinated against meningitis B with three doses of the vaccine at eight and 12 weeks and at one year of age. Another vaccine against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y is given at the age of 14 years.
