Two people, including a university student, have died and more than 10 people have been hospitalized with meningitis after a deadly infection broke out in the southeastern English town of Canterbury.
Eleven people in the area are in hospital and are seriously ill after contracting the condition, the BBC reported. Most of them are between 18 and 21 and students at the University of Kent in Canterbury.
The two who died in the outbreak are believed to be between the ages of 18 and 21. The University of Kent confirmed to Ex Post that one of the two students.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a University of Kent student has died following a case of invasive meningitis,” the post read.
A senior pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, Kent, has died from meningitis, headteacher Amelia McIlroy confirmed.
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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday it was arranging antibiotics for some students in the Canterbury area of Kent after several cases of invasive meningococcal disease, adding that “no specific strain has been identified at this time”.
According to the university’s website, several students living in on-campus housing have been contacted to take antibiotics, and the university is asking uncontacted students to collect antibiotics as a precaution because they believe they may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.
Students wearing face masks walk through the University of Kent at Canterbury campus after a meningitis outbreak killed two people in Canterbury, United Kingdom, on March 16, 2026.
Carl Court/Getty Images
More than 30,000 students, staff and their families are being contacted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) about the situation.
The institution canceled all individual examinations on Monday and the students’ union canceled programs and closed venues in response to the outbreak.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membrane of the brain and spinal cord and can be serious if not treated promptly.
Early symptoms, which are not always present, include:
- Sudden onset of high fever
- A rash that does not fade when pressed against the glass
- Severe and worsening headaches
- Stiff neck
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Joint and muscle pain
- Does not like bright lights
- Very cold hands and feet
- Seizures
- Confusion / Circumstance
- Severe insomnia/difficulty waking up
Students are especially at risk of missing the early warning signs of meningitis because they can easily be mistaken for other illnesses, such as a bad cold, the flu, or a hangover.
In rare cases, meningitis can become serious and lead to septicemia (blood poisoning), which can rapidly progress to sepsis. The onset of illness is often sudden and early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment are essential to prevent it from becoming severe.
Youngsters at university are at risk of meningitis because they socialize with so many other students, some of whom unknowingly carry the bacteria in the back of their noses and throats, the UKHSA has warned.
Meningitis vaccination in Canada is publicly funded and highly recommended for adults and children.
Mandatory immunization for school attendance exists in some provinces, including Ontario, and high-risk individuals can access additional vaccines, according to the City of Toronto website.
The provincial government provides free vaccination to children and students of a certain age to protect against several strains of meningitis.
There have been several small outbreaks of meningitis in Canada in recent years.
Four people died of meningitis in Manitoba in 2025 and 24 others became infected. A Nova Scotia student at Coal Harbor High School was sick last year. The province reported seven cases in 2024.
In 2024, 39 cases of meningitis were reported in Ontario.
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(tags to translate)meningitis
