One dead and others seriously ill due to meningitis fever today. A young person has died and two others are being treated after an outbreak of meningitis in Berkshire.
The news follows a major outbreak in Kent linked to a nightclub in Canterbury that left two people dead and more than a dozen requiring hospital treatment in March.
On Thursday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that new cases had been found in Reading and that one student had died.
The UKHSA said a student at Henley College has died and other young people are sick after an outbreak of meningitis in Reading.
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and can be very serious if not treated quickly.
It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.
Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection.
Viral meningitis will usually get better on its own and rarely causes long-term problems.
Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis. It can lead to blood poisoning or sepsis and can affect the brain.
It is estimated that up to 1 in 10 cases of bacterial meningitis is fatal.
