meningitis outbreak incident' after deaths

THE meningitis outbreak that has claimed two lives was upgraded to a national incident last night as it emerged a baby girl was critically ill with the brain bug.

- BY JON KING

The emergency — which came after 15 cases centred on the University of Kent were confirmed — was said to be a once-in-a-generation nightmare.

Professor Susan Hopkins, chief of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “This looks like a superspreader event with ongoing spread within the halls of residence.”

The origin of the initial case is still being investigated but Prof Hopkins said: “In my 35 years working in medicine, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single week-

end with this type of infection.

“It’s the explosive nature that is unprecedented, the number of cases in such a short space of time. NHS were initially managing it as a major incident in the region but they have now increased that to having a national level oversight.”

Meanwhile, nine-month-old Nala-Rose Fletcher was in intensive care at Evelina London Children’s Hospital with her parents at her side.