BREAKING NEWS: Meningitis outbreak ‘passed peak’, says UKHSA
A UKHSA official has said the Kent meningitis outbreak has peaked after cases stabilised.
(c) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/Unsplash
Trish Mannes, the agency’s regional deputy director for the South East, told BBC Radio Kent that ‘this peak has passed, absolutely’.
The comments came after the UKHSA reported no new cases over the weekend.
There are currently 20 laboratory confirmed cases and 9 notifications remain under investigation, bringing the total to 29.
Numbers were revised down on Sunday after three additional confirmed cases were reclassified following further laboratory results and clinical investigation.
The UKHSA said it expected some further probable cases to be downgraded in the coming days.
Mannes added: ‘We could still see cases continuing to come in, we need to keep an eye on those. We need to really understand exactly what happens a bit more before we can be too optimistic about this.’
Dr Sherine Thomas, infectious diseases consultant at UKHSA, said: ‘We continue to remain vigilant for new cases and work closely with NHS England and local authorities across the country, to ensure that any new cases identified are responded to as quickly as possible.
‘It’s reassuring to have seen so many eligible young people come forward for antibiotics and vaccination and we’d like to thank everyone involved in this effort so far.
‘Although the risk to the wider population remains low, it is still really important that people know the symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops them. UKHSA continues to work with partners to identify contacts and offer necessary treatment.’
More than 9,300 people have received jabs and 12,700 people have been given preventative antibiotics.
