Two young people have died following an outbreak of meningitis in the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had been notified of 13 cases with signs and symptoms of meningitis from Friday to yesterday in the Canterbury area of Kent.
Some students at the University of Kent have been given antibiotics. The specific strain of meningitis has not yet been identified.
The UKHSA said that specialists are interviewing affected individuals and their families to “help identify all close contacts and arrange antibiotics to limit spread”.
Meningococcal bacteria can cause serious illness, including inflammation of the lining of the brain and blood poisoning, which can rapidly lead to sepsis.
Anyone can get meningitis but it is most common in babies, children, teenagers and young adults and it…