Two children from different schools treated for meningitis after student’s death

Two school pupils are being treated for meningitis and one person has died (Picture: REUTERS)

Two pupils from different Reading schools are receiving treatment after they contracted meningitis.

One of the students attends Reading Blue Coat School and the other goes to Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update today.

Meanwhile, the student who died attended Henley College in Oxfordshire.

Their close contacts have been offered antibiotics as a precaution.

The UKHSA said testing had shown the cases were not caused by the same strain of the virus linked to an outbreak of meningitis B in Kent back in March, which led to the deaths of two people.

Highdown Secondary School in Reading (Picture: Highdown Secondary School)

Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: ‘We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student.

‘Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks, as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.

‘We are working closely with partners and have provided public health advice and precautionary antibiotic treatment to close contacts of the cases. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily and the risk to the wider public remains low.’

Parents and students at all affected schools have been informed of the signs of meningitis.

Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges.

There are different strains that can be caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.

Symptoms can include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, drowsiness, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain, and a rash that does not fade under pressure.

Meningitis can cause a rapid escalation in symptoms. Bacterial meningitis is fatal in around one in 10 cases and can cause death in as little as 24 hours if left untreated.

It is most common in young people, but Dr Mearkle stressed that ‘anyone can get’ it, and around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England every year.

‘It needs to be treated quickly, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms,’ she added.

‘They can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern.’

A statement from Henley College said its ‘thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.’

The statement continued: ‘We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency.

‘Out of respect for the family, we will not be providing further detail at this time.’

Thousands of people were given the MenB vaccine or antibiotics following the outbreak in Kent.

Andrew Preston, a professor of microbial pathogenicity at University of Bath, said: ‘This latest outbreak again has emerged in the college-age cohort, like the Kent outbreak.

‘All current cases appear contained to a well-defined social contact group which enables rapid contact tracing and the administration of antibiotics and vaccination if deemed a necessary precaution.

‘At the moment, there is no indication of transmission to the wider community, although understandably this will have caused wide concern in the area.’

Comments Add as preferred source