Meningitis outbreak: Number of cases fall

9 hours ago 4

The number of confirmed and suspected meningitis cases in the outbreak in Kent has fallen to 29, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

It marks a decrease from 34 cases reported on Saturday, and includes two - a 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a sixth form pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham - who died from the virus last weekend.

It includes confirmed cases and those that remain under investigation.

Read more: The symptoms, treatments and if you need the vaccine

How meningitis outbreak has impacted local economy

The UKHSA said in a statement that some of the cases that were initially confirmed "have been reclassified following further laboratory results and clinical investigation".

"As further laboratory assessments are completing, we expect some further probable cases to be downgraded in the coming days", the agency added.

The figures include 20 laboratory cases, which are confirmed, and nine which remain under investigation.

'It could've killed me': Students grapple with meningitis outbreak

It comes after Kent County Council's director of public health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, speculated on three "rough" scenarios over the next four weeks.

At a briefing on Friday, he said the "most likely" scenario would see people travelling off campus outside Kent and then spreading the bacteria to others within a household.

The alternative scenarios would see cases remaining contained in Kent or, in a "highly unlikely" worst-case, the outbreak could result in another cluster outside the county.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Read Entire Article