Severe headaches are one of the most common symptoms of meningitis.Image: www.imago-images.de
A wave of meningitis in Kent, England, is causing great concern among the British population. Two people have already died from meningitis and another 20 are infected. You can read what that means and how you can protect yourself here.
March 20, 2026, 8:40 p.mMarch 20, 2026, 8:40 p.m
Melanie Köppel / watson.de
A fun evening in the club ended in absolute health chaos for some English people: in the Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury at the beginning of March, the dangerous pathogen is said to have been quickly transmitted through close contact, shared glasses or vapes.
The result: two dead people and another 20 infected. The number of unreported cases could be much higher; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is personally calling on the public to come forward if they were in this club at the time in question.
What is meningitis anyway, why is an infection so dangerous and what is the situation in Germany? Watson has all the information at a glance.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord. If it also spreads to the brain, it is called meningoencephalitis, according to the health magazine AOK reported.
Common triggers are viruses (called viral form), while bacterial infections (called bacterial form) are rarer but significantly more dangerous. Typical bacterial pathogens are pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae and, above all, meningococci, which can also cause life-threatening blood poisoning.
According to a report by the Daily Mirror Bacteria of the Neisseria meningitidis type led to the wave of infections in England.
Can you survive meningitis?
Basically yes, but the mortality rate depends heavily on the pathogen and the time at which treatment begins. Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening emergency with up to 30 percent mortality despite therapy, while viral forms usually heal well.
Is meningitis contagious?
As the current case in England shows, meningitis can be very contagious, especially the bacterial form.
It is usually transmitted through droplet infection, such as coughing, sneezing and kissing, or smear infection, such as via glasses or surfaces.
Who gets meningitis?
In principle, anyone can get meningitis, but infants and small children with immature immune systems as well as adolescents and young adults who have a higher risk of infection due to close social contact are particularly affected WHO reported.
Older people and people with weakened immune systems are also more susceptible, while a lack of vaccination increases the risk.
How does meningitis manifest itself?
Meningitis often manifests itself through sudden, severe symptoms. Typical symptoms include a high fever, very severe headaches and a stiff neck, so that those affected can hardly bend their head forward.
Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and a pronounced feeling of illness are often associated. In severe cases, confusion, impaired consciousness, seizures or skin changes may also occur, especially in bacterial meningitis, which can quickly become life-threatening.
In infants, the symptoms are often less specific, such as poor drinking, irritability or a tense fontanelle.
Where in the head does meningitis hurt?
Meningitis headaches usually have a sudden onset, are very severe and often throbbing. They usually affect the entire head, often radiate to the neck and are accompanied by painful neck stiffness (meningismus).
It is noticeable that those affected can hardly put their chin on their chest and the pain increases significantly when they move.
How long does meningitis last?
The duration of meningitis depends largely on the cause: Viral meningitis is usually milder and often resolves within one to two weeks. Bacterial meningitis is significantly more serious and requires immediate hospital treatment.
The illness can last several weeks, and even after that, longer recovery times are possible. In any case, one thing is crucial rapid diagnosis and treatmentotherwise the course can quickly deteriorate.
When do you need to go to the hospital for meningitis?
Loud infectionprotection.de The following applies if you suspect a meningococcal infection: go to the hospital immediately.
If symptoms such as high fever, chills, severe headaches or other typical warning signs suddenly appear, you should seek medical help immediately as the condition can quickly deteriorate to a life-threatening level.
What are the long-term consequences of meningitis?
Long-term consequences of meningitis occur in around 10 to 20 percent of survivors, especially after severe bacterial courses. Common consequences include hearing loss and even deafness, seizures (epilepsy), cognitive limitations such as learning and memory problems, paralysis and personality changes.
In particularly severe cases, such as meningococcal sepsis, tissue damage can occur, which even makes amputations necessary.
How can you protect yourself from meningitis?
The most important protection against meningitis is vaccination, especially against bacterial pathogens such as meningococci, pneumococci and Haemophilus influenzae type B, which can cause severe disease.
In addition, general hygiene measures such as regular hand washing, keeping a distance from sick people and avoiding close contact with infections help to reduce the risk of infection.
Since many pathogens are transmitted via droplet infections, careful handling during cold phases also makes sense. In the case of certain risks, such as after close contact with sick people, preventive antibiotic treatment may also be necessary.
How quickly does the meningitis vaccination work?
Vaccination protection against meningitis does not build up immediately: the immune system usually begins to react within a few days, but reliable protection usually only occurs after about one to two weeks.
In the current situation in Kent, England, a combination of prophylactic antibiotics and vaccination is being used.
Depending on the vaccine, several doses may be necessary until full protection is achieved, especially in infants. (fwa)