One dead and two ill after meningitis cases

A young person has died and two people are being treated after cases of meningitis in Reading, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has said.

The agency said close contacts of those affected were being offered antibiotics as a precaution.

It said information has been shared about the infection with students and parents at all affected schools but the risk to the wider public was low.

A GP surgery in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, said it was in contact with the UKHSA following the death of a student at Henley College with suspected meningococcal disease.

The Hart Surgery's statement said the agency was "actively contacting those who may be at risk due to a close association with the student involved".

But it said anyone who has not been contacted by the UKHSA does not need any treatment. Students and staff can attend the sixth form college as usual.

"The number of confirmed cases is very low so there are currently no plans for a local emergency meningitis vaccination programme," it added.

The UKHSA said one of the cases has been confirmed as meningitis B (MenB) but that it is awaiting further results on the other two.

Rachel Mearkle, a consultant in health protection, said: "Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried...however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks as we saw in Kent recently are thankfully rare."

She added: "Anyone can get meningitis, and around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England every year.

"It's most common in babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults.

"It needs to be treated quickly so it is important to know the signs and symptoms. They can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern."

Two people died after an outbreak in Kent, thought to have originated in a Canterbury nightclub, earlier this year.

The UKHSA said a total of 29 confirmed or suspected cases of meningitis were detected after the outbreak in March.