The British health authorities were working on Tuesday to stop an outbreak of meningococcal disease that has killed two people and infected at least 15 in southwest England.
The outbreak has prompted the U.K. Health Security Agency to begin contact tracing, distribute antibiotics and begin a targeted vaccination program in the area — starting at the University of Kent, outside the city of Canterbury, where all in-person exams were canceled this week.
“This is an unprecedented outbreak,” Wes Streeting, Britain’s health secretary, said on Tuesday. “It is also a rapidly developing situation.”
The first case was reported to the health authorities last Friday, and most have been traced to a nightclub in Canterbury that is popular with students. Health officials have asked anyone who visited the club on March 5, 6 or 7 to come forward to receive antibiotics.
Meningococcal disease, which is caused by bacteria, is spread through prolonged close contact. It can present as meningitis, an inflammation of the brain and spinal membranes, or septicemia, an infection in the bloodstream.
Both are potentially deadly. About one in 20 people who develop meningococcal disease dies, according to the Oxford Vaccine Group. About one-fifth of survivors suffer long-term effects, such as hearing loss and seizures.
A student at the University of Kent died after contracting meningitis, the school announced on Sunday. An 18-year-old student at a high school in Faversham, about 10 miles from Canterbury, died on Saturday from the infection, according to the BBC.
The authorities in France have also reported a case in that country, in a person who attended the University of Kent, Mr. Streeting said, and at least two cases have been identified in local high schools. More than 700 doses of antibiotics have been administered since Friday, he said.
Investigators had identified some of the cases as Group B, a strain of meningococcal disease, Mr. Streeting said. Britain’s National Health Service began in 2015 to offer vaccinations to babies for that strain. But people born before 2015 have not been offered that vaccination through the N.H.S., meaning a very small portion of that population has been vaccinated against that strain.
“These students do not have immunity to Men B, which is the cause of this outbreak,” said Eliza Gil, a clinical lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Many people can carry meningitis-causing bacteria and never get symptoms, she said. People feel sick when the bacteria begins invading the body, she added. In a small setting like a nightclub, it could be transmitted to others through sharing drinks or vapes, coughing, sneezing or singing.
In Canterbury, four centers with a total of 11,000 doses of antibiotics have been opened to treat people who may have been exposed, Mr. Streeting said.
Students at the University of Kent, some wearing masks have lined up this week to receive precautionary antibiotics. Mr. Streeting said that a targeted vaccination drive would be rolled out to University of Kent students living in residence halls.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease include fever, headache, a stiff neck and a rash, and health authorities said they could be mistaken, especially among younger people, for a hangover or other illnesses. People with those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, they said.
Dr. Gil said that outbreaks tended to be geographically contained because the illness spreads through close contact. Still, she advised students to get their doses of antibiotics before leaving for Easter holidays after this week.
Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends.
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