An unidentified outbreak, likely bacterial, has killed two people and sickened 11 others in the United Kingdom. One student who died was a University of Kent student.
The outbreak is thought to be linked to a party held in Canterbury that some of the students who became sick attended, according to the BBC.
Multiple invasive meningococcal disease cases near the school were reported to the U.K. health officials. As of Sunday, two of the individuals have died. One of them was a student, a university spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.
From Friday, March 13th, to Sunday, March 15th, 13 different cases of individuals with “signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicemia” at the University of Kent were reported to the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the organization said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
A spokesperson for the University of Kent told PEOPLE on Sunday, “We are deeply saddened to confirm that one student from the University of Kent has died following a case of invasive meningitis. Our thoughts are with the student’s family, friends and the wider university community at this extremely difficult time.”
The spokesperson continued, “The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. We are working closely with public health teams and are in touch with staff and students to ensure they get the advice and support they need. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep our community informed.” –PEOPLE
Several media outlets claim that this outbreak is viral, yet the health authorities are using antibiotics in an attempt to slow the spread. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections.
Along with the U.K.’s National Health Service, the UKHSA said it is arranging antibiotics “for some students in the Canterbury area of Kent following a number of cases of invasive meningococcal disease.”
Meningococcal disease “is an uncommon but very serious infection” whose two most common syndromes are meningitis and septicemia, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The specific strain has not been identified as of Sunday, according to the UKHSA.
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