Meningococcal disease: Urgent UKHSA public health alert as new cases identified and outbreak spreads to second university

Student Sophia Speirs contracted meningitis (credit: PA Wire/Speirs)

By Claudia Tanner

The UK Health Security Agency has declared an urgent public health alert as five new cases of meningococcal disease have been identified in Kent, bringing the total number of confirmed and suspected cases to 20.

Canterbury Christ Church University confirmed its first case among students — marking the spread of the outbreak to a second Kent university.