A fourth case of meningitis has been confirmed in Reading, linked to the same social network as previous cases, including the death of teenager Lewis Waters. The child, a pupil at Westwood Farm Junior School, is recovering well, according to Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Dr Mearkle stated: 'A fourth case of meningococcal disease has been confirmed in Reading. This fourth case has links with the same wider social network as the other cases, where measures, including antibiotic prophylaxis, have already been implemented.' She added that the risk to the wider public remains low and that this case is not linked to incidents in Kent or Dorset.
The outbreak involves students who contracted Meningitis B (MenB), including Lewis Waters, a sixth-form pupil at The Henley College in Oxfordshire, who died last week. His father Sean Waters paid tribute to him on social media, saying he 'fought hard' but developed sepsis and died within hours of feeling ill. Two other patients being treated for the infection are pupils at Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre.
This follows a major meningitis outbreak in Kent in March that killed two people, including 18-year-old student Juliette Kenny, who died a day after first showing symptoms, and an unnamed 21-year-old University of Kent student. Meningitis can affect anyone, but babies, young children, teenagers, and university students are among the most at risk due to close contact in schools and shared accommodation.
Symptoms of meningitis can appear suddenly and in any order, according to the NHS. They include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain, and a rash that does not fade under pressure.
