← March 16, 2026 briefingHealth
Meningitis Outbreak at University of Kent Kills Two
Two people have died and 11 are seriously ill after an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease — a combination of meningitis and septicaemia — at the University of Kent. The UK Health Security Agency has distributed antibiotics to students in the Canterbury area after detecting 13 cases of the rare and fast-acting condition. Meningococcal disease can kill within 24 hours of symptoms appearing.
