Two people have died after a meningitis outbreak at a UK – National university
Two people, including a university student, have died and more than 10 others have been hospitalized with meningitis after an outbreak of the deadly disease in the southeastern English city of Canterbury.
11 people in the area are in hospital after contracting the disease and are seriously ill, the BBC reports. Most of them are between the ages of 18 and 21 and are students at the University of Kent, in Canterbury.
Both people who died from the disease are believed to be between 18 and 21 years old. The University of Kent confirmed in an X document that one of the two was a student there.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that one University of Kent student has died following a case of invasive meningitis,” the statement read.
A senior pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, Kent, has been confirmed dead from meningitis by head teacher Amelia McIlroy.
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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday it was ordering antibiotics for some students in the Canterbury area of Kent following several cases of meningococcal disease, adding that “the specific strain has not yet been identified.”
According to the university’s website, students who live in many areas of the campus have been contacted to take antibiotics, and the university urges students who have not been contacted but believe that they may have been exposed to a person suffering from meningitis to take antibiotics as a means of protection.
Students wearing face masks walk past the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus after an outbreak of measles left two people dead, March 16, 2026, in Canterbury, United Kingdom.
Carl Court/Getty Images
More than 30,000 students, staff and their families have been contacted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to inform them of the situation.
The institution canceled all personal exams on Monday, the student union stopped events and closed the study areas due to the outbreak of the disease.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord and can be very serious if not treated quickly.
Early symptoms, which may not always be present, include:
- sudden onset of high fever
- rash that does not fade when pressed against the glass
- severe headache
- stiff neck
- vomiting and diarrhea
- joint and muscle pain
- dislike bright lights
- very cold hands and feet
- fainting
- confusion/depression
- drowsiness/difficulty waking up
Students are at high risk of missing the early signs of meningitis because they may be confused with other illnesses, such as a bad cold, flu, or hangover.
Although rare, meningitis can be dangerous and may lead to septicemia (blood poisoning), which can quickly lead to sepsis. The onset of illness is often sudden, and early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment are important to prevent it from getting worse.
University students are at risk of contracting meningitis because they mix with many other students, some of whom are unknowingly carrying germs behind their noses and throats, the UKHSA has warned.
Meningitis vaccines in Canada are publicly funded and recommended for adults and children.
Mandatory school-going immunizations exist in some provinces, including Ontario, and high-risk populations can access other vaccines, according to the City of Toronto website.
The provincial government provides a free vaccine to children and students of certain ages to protect against several types of meningitis.
There have been several small outbreaks of meningitis in Canada in recent years.
Four people in Manitoba died of meningitis in 2025, and another 24 contracted the virus. A Nova Scotia student at Cole Harbor High School was diagnosed with the disease last year. The province reported seven cases in 2024.
In 2024, there were 39 confirmed cases of meningitis reported in Ontario.
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