People most at risk of contracting meningitis as 'unprecedented' outbreak now a 'national incident'

The outbreak of meningitis at the University of Kent has now been declared a national incident as health experts share their concern about its rapid spread.

One sixth former and one university student have sadly died after contracting the infection, which causes inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, with 15 cases in total reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Although many will have received their meningitis vaccine at school, the free treatment on the NHS only covers the A, C, W and Y strains of meningococcal bacteria, with the current outbreak confirmed to the be the B strain.

MenB vaccinations were only rolled out in 2015 meaning that many of university age are potentially vulnerable to it, which has seen thousands queue up for potentially life-saving antibiotics in the past few days.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Tuesday 17 March that the outbreak was 'unprecedented' and warned youngsters to take care.

He said: “The bacteria is passed to others after a long period of close contact, for example living with someone in shared accommodation, through prolonged kissing or sharing vapes and drinks.”

Naturally, there will be some concern about who might be most vulnerable to catching the infection, especially for those living in close contact with many others, such as in universities' halls of residence.

Experts suggest that babies, teens, the elderly, smokers and those living with existing illnesses which could make them immunosuppressed are most vulnerable to meningitis, meaning they are more likely to catch it and perhaps more likely to suffer the more serious consequences.

Juliette was just 18 when she contracted the illness and passed away at the weekend (Family Handout)

Prof Paul Hunter, an infectious disease specialist at the University of East Anglia, told the Daily Star: “People who are suffering respiratory viruses are at an increased risk of bacterial infections."

UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins has already described the outbreak as a 'super-spreader event.

"There will have been some parties particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing," she added.

"I can't yet say where the initial infection came from, how it's got into this cohort, and why it's created such an explosive amount of infections.

Students have been queuing for antibiotics in recent days (Carl Court/Getty Images)

"I can say that in my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I've seen in a single weekend with this type of infection.

"It's the explosive nature that is unprecedented here - the number of cases in such a short space of time.

"NHS were initially managing it as a major incident in the region but they have now increased that overlay to having a national-level oversight as well."

The number of confirmed cases is only expected to rise in the coming days as more symptoms present themselves, with every case so far receiving treatment in hospital, while students in Kent will also be offered the MenB vaccine.

England's deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite told Sky News: "This is by far the quickest-growing outbreak I've ever seen in my career, and I think probably any of us have seen of meningitis for a very long time.

"Whilst it remains an outbreak that is having its consequences in Kent, it is obviously of national significance."