Kent meningitis outbreak driven by a ‘recently emerged' disease subtype

The Kent meningitis outbreak was driven by a recently emerged strain of the disease, a lack of herd immunity and social mixing, the country’s health protection watchdog has said.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed in a technical briefing that the cases that have been typed have been shown to be a 'recently emerged' subtype of MenB which has been circulating in England since 2020.

But the genetic make-up of the outbreak bacteria is also ‘clearly distinct’ within this subtype and has multiple ‘potentially significant’ genetic differences when compared to other MenB bacteria, the agency added.

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The UKHSA said that these differences must be evaluated to 'understand how they may change the behaviour of the bacteria'.

This, in addition to a lack of immunity in the affected population and environmental factors such as close contact, is most likely what caused the outbreak, UKHSA added.

The briefing said: ‘The outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent is unusual in size and pace compared to past outbreaks.

‘The drivers of the outbreak may be social and environmental factors, bacterial strain, or population immunity, or a combination of these.

‘Understanding the drivers will help us to choose the right public health measures to prevent further cases and outbreaks.

'It is highly likely that all of these factors are contributing to some degree.’

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The agency worked with academic experts from across the UK to produce the new briefing following the first week of the disease outbreak and it includes early evidence and preliminary analyses which the UKHSA stressed may be subject to change.

Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said: ‘This preliminary analysis offers strong reassurance that our existing vaccinations and antibiotic treatment offer will be effective against this strain.

‘In collaboration with the research community, we will continue intensive laboratory investigations of the strain to determine how the spread of the outbreak may have been influenced by the bacterial strain, social or environmental conditions, and population immunity.’

No new cases have been confirmed since yesterday, with the total number of confirmed cases remaining at 20 –with three other cases still under investigation.

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More than 10,000 MenB vaccines and almost 14,000 doses of antibiotics have been given out so far to people who are eligible to receive them, according to NHS Kent and Medway.

Ministers have also agreed that vaccination will be extended to include year 11s in schools where the vaccination offer has already been made. The UKHSA stressed that this is a ‘precautionary measure’ to ensure longer-term protection and minimise disruption to school attendance.