Two people have died following an outbreak of “invasive” meningitis, including one student at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.
BBC South East understands that a further 11 people from the Canterbury area are currently in hospital and reported to be seriously ill. It is understood that most are aged between 18 and 21 and a number are students at the university.
Both people who have died are believed to be aged between 18 and 21, while a University of Kent spokesperson confirmed one of the two was a student at the university.
More than 30,000 students, staff and their families are being contacted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to inform them of the situation.
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and can be serious if not treated promptly.
A UKHSA spokesperson said it was arranging antibiotics for some students in the Canterbury area following the outbreak, and that the specific strain of the disease has not been identified.
A letter from the UKHSA to University of Kent students and staff, seen by the BBC, said people living and working in certain blocks in the campus should receive antibiotics “without delay”.
