UK Confirms Fourth Meningitis Case in Reading School Outbreak

(MENAFN) Health authorities in the United Kingdom confirm a fourth case of meningitis in Reading, southwest England, where a junior school pupil is currently receiving treatment, according to reports.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as cited by a media outlet, says the case involves a pupil at Westwood Farm Junior School, marking the fourth infection linked to a cluster affecting young people within the same broader social network.

The development follows the recent death of Lewis Waters, a student at The Henley College in Oxfordshire, who succumbed to the infection last week.

Earlier cases are reported at Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre, all connected to the same outbreak cluster.

Health officials say the affected pupil is recovering well, while close contacts of all confirmed cases are given preventive antibiotic treatment as a precautionary measure.

The UKHSA previously states that laboratory testing shows the strain is not linked to earlier meningitis B outbreaks reported this year in Kent and Dorset.

In a previous outbreak in March, a University of Kent student and a Year 13 pupil also die from the infection, prompting a wider vaccination and antibiotic response.

The Henley College issues a statement expressing condolences and support for the student’s family and friends during what it describes as an extremely difficult time.

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