Health chiefs scramble to find thousands potentially exposed to deadly Kent meningitis strain: Questions grow over why officials only warned of cluster AFTER students flocked home for Mother’s Day – with ‘potential case in London’

Health officials are racing to stop a deadly meningitis outbreak, tracking and treating thousands of potential contacts as reports of suspected cases spread.

The unprecedented emergency response saw 2,000 anxious students in Canterbury receive preventative antibiotics yesterday as the ‘invasive’ strain of the disease left two dead and 11 seriously ill.

A university student and an 18-year-old primary school student died after being diagnosed, while some of those treated in the hospital fell into a coma.

Two other schools outside Canterbury each confirmed a Year 13 student had been diagnosed with the disease following the outbreak, leading to concerns about how far the disease could spread; A woman from London potentially developing symptoms.

Meningitis is transmitted through close contact, and microbiologists have since confirmed that the outbreak in Kent was caused by the severe bacterial form of the disease.

The ACWY-135 vaccine protects against meningitis and is given to children ages 13 to 14. Vaccination rates among students are around 73 percent.

Infectious disease experts believe the outbreak is ‘unusual’ and may be due to a combination of low vaccination rates since the Covid pandemic and a ‘new strain with different behaviour’.

Last night the first victim was named as 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, who died surrounded by her family on Saturday.

His father, Michael, told the BBC the family were “so devastated and don’t have the words to express their loss”.

His heartbroken grandmother Linda Kenny told the Daily Mail: ‘I can’t bring myself to say anything otherwise I’ll cry. ‘We’re all on antibiotics because we were in the hospital with Juliette when she died.’

Juliette (centre) lived with her father Michael, 46, mother Rebecca, 49, and older sister Florence, 20, in nearby Whitstable.

From club nights to house parties, university halls, secondary schools and sixth forms, health teams are still scrambling to identify and alert those who have encountered infected people by tracking their whereabouts.

Authorities are expanding large-scale mass treatment, calling for potentially thousands of revelers to come forward after the source of the outbreak was traced to a nightclub in Canterbury.

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has urged anyone who visited Club Chemistry in the city center on 5, 6 or 7 March to come forward to receive antibiotics as a ‘precautionary measure’.

The owner said more than 2,000 people will likely attend the club on these dates.

It is feared that the disease, the specific type of which has not yet been determined, may have accelerated the sharing of e-cigarettes among young people.

26-year-old Josh Risby told KentOnline His sister, who lives in London, was hospitalized with symptoms of meningitis, even though she was not a university student.

The siblings saw each other on Mother’s Day and Josh, who works in Aylesham, doesn’t believe his sister went to a Canterbury nightclub at the weekend.

The UKHSA was warned on Saturday night that there was a ‘cluster’ of cases in the area and announced antibiotics would be arranged for some students in the area on Sunday.

The agency said it took action ‘immediately’ after questions were raised about why it took almost another 24 hours to notify the public.

Authorities emphasized that thousands of college students likely returned home for Mother’s Day on Sunday and may have unknowingly transmitted the disease to their families before being informed about the outbreak.

Club Chemistry at Canterbury linked to meningitis outbreak

Keeleigh Goodwin, 21, was diagnosed with meningitis after attending an event at Club Chemistry earlier this month.

Keeleigh, who lives at home in Canterbury, was diagnosed with meningitis B and is currently in hospital.

Casey Marlow, 19, was hospitalized a few days after spending the night at Club Chemistry with friends.

Casey’s mother Emma Marlow says her daughter should make a full recovery with antibiotics

A former health official has accused the UKHSA of not acting quickly enough and claimed it had “not learned the lessons of the (Covid) pandemic”.

“They’ll be too focused on discussing the science of the disease and not thinking too much about how real people actually behave,” he said Telegram.

‘It probably didn’t occur to them that last weekend hundreds of students flocked home to see their families for Mother’s Day. As a result they could not act quickly enough.’

A parent from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, which Juliette attended, also criticized health bosses for a lack of urgency.

He said: ‘Reading between the lines, it appears the school was not affected by UKHSA’s failure to communicate on Sunday evening when a pupil died.

‘I think parents and the school had a right to know about cases as soon as they emerged. Maybe the epidemic could have been stopped earlier.’

Canterbury Independent MP Rosie Duffield said she had received a briefing from the UKHSA emphasizing the need for ‘fairly close contact’ for meningitis to spread between people. He said people can contact his office if they are concerned.

The first death was a student living on the University of Kent campus, followed by Juliette, who went to primary school in Faversham, ten miles away.

Reports of suspected cases, with at least one victim said to be in a coma, spread as far as the coastal Whitstable and the suburban town of Ashford.

Registered nurses in the area are believed to have been called in to help with the massive operation amid fears that medics will have to draw on national antibiotic reserves if it is not brought under control soon.

In images reminiscent of the Covid epidemic, masked students joined long queues ranging from 400 to 500 people at the Kent University Senate building during peak hours yesterday to receive treatment.

Staff and students, some wearing face masks, queue to receive antibiotics at the University of Kent in Canterbury

A staff member hands out face masks to people queuing for antibiotics at the University of Kent on Monday

Students queuing for antibiotics outside the University of Kent building in Canterbury today

Trish Mannes, UKHSA’s deputy regional director for the South East, said: ‘Our investigations have identified some cases having visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury and it is important that anyone who visited the club between 5 and 7 March and those offered antibiotics at the university now comes forward for preventive antibiotic treatment; These students are contacted directly through the university.’

Louise Jones-Roberts, the club’s owner, said authorities had contacted her to trace anyone potentially exposed to the disease. The 1,600-capacity venue hoped its ID scanner, which takes photos of ticket sales and driver’s licenses, would help identify those present.

Ms Jones-Roberts said: ‘I was told they started showing symptoms on March 10th. If I had known, I wouldn’t have opened it this weekend, but I didn’t know. ‘I’m worried about another potential outbreak from this weekend.’

It was reported that suspected cases of meningitis emerged in two girls who were said to have joined the club and shared e-cigarettes with each other.

There were also reports that a boy thought to be around 17 was left in a coma after attending a house party in Whitstable on Saturday.

Matthew, 16, and Luca McDonagh, 17, said one of their friends had already been in a coma after contracting meningitis recently.

Luca, who is in Year 13 at Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury, said no one in his year group at the school was allowed to attend classes. He and his brother, at the same school, were told to go to the University of Kent to receive antibiotics as a precaution.

Among those attending the party was 15-year-old Jude File, who told the Daily Mail: ‘Everyone was a bit scared. What’s worrying is how quickly this is spreading and it doesn’t appear to be isolated.’

He added of the party: ‘We got on the bus from Canterbury to Whitstable and there were University of Kent students there, so I wonder if that’s the source.’

Jude went to the university campus yesterday to receive preventive treatment and added: ‘I had to say who I was in contact with at the party. It’s just a precaution, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.’

His father Dan File, from Folkestone, added: ‘This is very worrying. ‘We went to college to get antibiotics after learning that a friend of a friend was in a coma.’

Amelia Milroy, Headmistress of Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Faversham, makes a statement about her student Juliette, who died of meningitis during the outbreak in Kent

Students wearing face masks march across the University of Kent campus in Canterbury

Matthew (left), 16, and Luca McDonagh (right), 17, queue for antibiotics at the University of Kent in Canterbury on Monday

Health inspectors attend Tyler Block at the University of Kent in Canterbury on Sunday night

Two more schools were put on alert yesterday after a Year 13 pupil at Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford was taken to hospital with a suspected case.

Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury has been closed to all Year 13 students, while many local events have been cancelled, including the St Patrick’s Day celebration.

Tearing up, Amelia McIlroy, headmistress of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, said: ‘Juliette was a pupil at our school for seven years. ‘He was incredibly kind, thoughtful and intelligent.’

Students at the University of Kent’s Turing block described how paramedics and paramedics wearing hazmat suits descended on the campus on Sunday. Meanwhile, it is said that a second block, thought to be Tyler Court, will also be affected.

Stating that it was ‘deeply saddened’ by the death of one of its students, the university moved exams and courses online due to the epidemic.

Club Chemistry participants can collect antibiotics from: the Gate Clinic at Kent and Canterbury Hospital; Westgate Hall in Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury; Carey Building, Thanet Centre, Margate Northwood Road; and the Senate building at the University of Kent.

Additional reporting: Neil Sears and Shaun Wooller