March 17, 2026, 3:10 p.mMarch 17, 2026, 3:10 p.m
After two deaths from meningitis, hundreds of people in the county of Kent in southern England are being treated with antibiotics as a precaution. Long queues formed in front of the distribution points.
Students line up to receive antibiotics.Image: IMAGO / News Licensing
It initially remained unclear how many people in total should receive antibacterial agents as a precautionary measure. In the past few days, a schoolboy and a student from Canterbury died, and other sick people are being treated in hospital.
The cases were caused by subgroup B meningococci, as was confirmed on Tuesday, according to the PA news agency. These are bacteria that can cause severe inflammation of the meninges (meningitis) and blood poisoning (sepsis). The disease can progress very quickly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) meningitis guidelines, antibiotic therapy should be started immediately if there is a well-founded clinical suspicion of such a meningococcal disease.
The bacteria are transmitted through droplet infection – coughing, sneezing, kissing. The first signs of infection are often flu-like – fever, headache, nausea, chills, fatigue. Severe cases can lead to septic shock, organ failure and brain damage. The death rate is 7 to 15 percent, and many survivors suffer from serious long-term consequences, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin.
There was also a case of meningitis in Switzerland in February. A recruit from the Emmen LU barracks was hospitalized due to a meningitis infection. As a precautionary measure, another 120 recruits were not allowed to go on weekend vacation. Around 60 cases of severe bacterial meningitis occur in Switzerland every year, the army wrote. (hkl/sda/dpa)