Meningitis outbreak sparks panic at three schools in Berkshire

There have been reports that two Berkshire schools have been linked to a meningitis outbreak which led to the death of a student at Henley College. The UK Health Protection Agency revealed that the students being treated were attending Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre.The development comes as health authorities, schools and health experts responded to the meningitis outbreak and confirmed death of a Henley College student, The Guardian reports.On Thursday, the UK Health Protection Agency confirmed the news that a student at Henley College had died from the disease. It is important to note that the Berkshire strain is different from the meningitis B strain that caused the recent meningitis outbreak in Kent.Dr. Rachel Merkley addressed the growing concern among parents, students and staff. He said: “We understand that many people will be affected by this tragic news and we would like to offer our condolences to this student’s friends and family.“Students and staff will naturally be concerned about the possibility of further cases; however, meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread, and large outbreaks, as we recently saw in Kent, are thankfully rare.“We are working closely with partners and have provided public health advice and precautionary antibiotic treatment to close contacts of cases. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily, and the risk to the wider public remains low.”Officials said the disease spreads through close and sustained contact. Every year in England, about 300 to 400 patients are found suffering from this disease. The most vulnerable groups are infants, teenagers, young adults and young children. Symptoms usually include fever, headache, nausea, drowsiness, chills, shortness of breath, and cold hands and feet.An outbreak of meningitis occurred in Kent in March, causing two deaths and sending more than a dozen patients to hospitals. In light of this, public health officials took swift action to address the spread of the disease in Berkshire.Henley College released a statement following the student’s death. College representatives said: “Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. We are supporting those affected in our college community and following the advice and guidance provided by the UK Health Protection Agency. The statement said: “Out of respect for the family, we will not be providing further details at this time.“According to Professor Andrew Preston of the University of Bath, this epidemic was typically characterized by young adults and college students. “Like the Kent outbreak, this latest outbreak has again emerged in the college-age group,” he said.“All current cases appear to be contained in a well-defined social contact group, which enables rapid contact tracing and administration of antibiotics and vaccination if necessary precautions are taken.“At the moment, there is no sign of transmission into the wider community, although, obviously, this will have caused widespread concern in the area.”MenB vaccine was added to the routine vaccination schedule for children by the National Health Service in 2015. Health officials have urged parents to remain alert for any symptoms developing in their children and cooperate with the authorities in taking all necessary precautions.