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The number of meningitis cases linked to a deadly outbreak in a nightclub in southeast England rose from 29 to 34, including 23 confirmed cases, health officials announced on Saturday.
The outbreak has already resulted in two deaths, a university student and a schoolgirl, while several others have been hospitalised.
The outbreak is believed to be linked to a three-storey nightclub in Canterbury, with authorities urging individuals who visited the venue between March 5 and 7, 2026, to seek preventive treatment.
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stated, “As of 12:30 pm on 20 March 2026, UKHSA has been notified of 23 confirmed and 11 probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease with epidemiological links to Canterbury, Kent.”
Authorities added that most of the confirmed infections are caused by meningococcal group B bacteria (MenB), a serious and potentially fatal strain of the disease.
Hundreds of students queued at the University of Kent in Canterbuty on Saturday to receive meningitis B vaccinations, after some were turned away the previous day due to high demand.
The health agency said more than 5,700 vaccines have been administered and over 11,000 antibiotic doses distributed across Kent as part of the containment effort.
Kent council’s public health director Anjan Ghosh on Friday warned that “small household, sporadic clusters” could appear in other parts of the UK as students who have travelled home could “incubate” the bug.
But he said these would be “containable” and stressed the risk of infection between individuals is low.
Meningitis is a serious infection that can develop rapidly and become life-threatening if not treated early, particularly when it leads to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes.
