Meningitis outbreak WAS caused by a new variant with significant mutations that are likely to have impacted on how fast it spread, officials say
The meningitis outbreak in Kent was caused by a new variant with significant mutations that are likely to have impacted on how fast it spread, officials say. The UK Health Security Agency has mapped the entire genome of the circulating bacteria and found mutations in an area known to affect transmissibility. Experts found the genome of the bacteria has ‘multiple potentially significant genetic differences when compared to the most closely related genomes’. Officials started vaccinating University of Kent students on Wednesday March 18. According to the UKHSA, the peak of the outbreak – with the largest number of cases reported – was on March 13.
Source: Daily Mail March 24, 2026 14:03 UTC
