A junior school pupil has become the fourth person to contract meningitis in an outbreak in Reading.
The patient has ‘links with the same wider social network’ as the other cases in the outbreak, which has left one college student dead.
Lewis Waters, a teenager from Reading who attended The Henley College in Oxfordshire, died from the illness last Tuesday.
On Friday, it emerged that two further patients being treated for meningitis were pupils at separate schools in the area – Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said all four cases have been confirmed as meningitis B.
Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: ‘A fourth case of meningococcal disease has been confirmed in Reading.
‘This fourth case has links with the same wider social network as the other cases, where measures, including antibiotic prophylaxis, have already been implemented.
‘The individual, who attends Westwood Farm Junior School, is recovering well.
‘Information has been shared with parents and carers at the school to advise of the signs and symptoms to look out for. All four cases have been confirmed to be meningitis B.
‘The risk to the wider public remains low and this case is not linked to the incidents in Kent or Dorset.’
Lewis Waters, a sixth-form pupil from Reading who went to The Henley College in Oxfordshire, died from the illness last Tuesday
Devastated father Sean Waters paid tribute to his ‘kind hearted son’ Lewis following his tragic death last week.
He shared photos of Lewis surrounded by his family in an emotional social media post where he remembered his ‘funny and social’ son.
Mr Waters wrote: ‘Words simply can’t describe the heartbreak and upset we’re going through.
‘The early hours of yesterday we lost our Lewis. Within a few hours of feeling a bit ill he developed sepsis and was taken from us.
‘He fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team, but they just couldn’t save him. We are absolutely devastated.
‘If you didn’t know Lewis, he was a funny, sociable kind hearted soul. He liked to include everyone and took great joy in winding me and Kate up.’
Mr Waters added: ‘He also loved his sisters, friends and family dearly. Life won’t be the same for many of us now that he’s gone.’
A mother of a child at The Henley College said the tragedy had deeply affected Lewis’ former classmates.
She said: ‘It’s come as a total shock to my son and the students. They are so closely knit so it has affected them greatly.
‘They are in all in shock to be honest with you. How do you come to terms with this at such an age. It’s awful.’
Lewis pictured with father Sean, who has paid tribute to his ‘funny and social son’
Specialists from the UKHSA have confirmed that close contacts of all four cases are being offered antibiotics as a precautionary measure.
Testing has already revealed the infection is not the same strain of meningitis B linked to Kent.
The fatal outbreak in March led to the deaths of two people and resulted in thousands being given the menB jab or antibiotics in a bid to curb the spread.
The Henley College principal Simon Spearman said: ‘The Henley College can confirm that one of its students sadly passed away earlier this week.
‘Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.
‘We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency.’
Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: ‘This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the friends and family of those affected.
‘Pharmacies in the area, including my own, have already seen a very significant increase in demand for vaccination against MenB from worried parents.
‘Although pharmacies are now carrying more stock than when we saw the outbreak in Kent, this is having to be managed carefully and demand could well exceed what pharmacies currently have in supply.
‘The JCVI should urgently publish its recommendations for MenB vaccinations and whether this should be extended to teenagers and young adults, in light of these recent outbreaks.’
‘Concerned families should follow closely advice from the UK Health Security Agency who state the risk to the wider public remains low.
‘Pharmacies stand ready to support public health efforts locally.’
Dr Shamez Ladhani, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, told BBC News it was ‘really unfortunate’ to have several outbreaks within such a short period of time.
He said: ‘Just like Kent was, just like Dorset… it is difficult to know where it is going to go from here,’ he said.
‘Hopefully it will settle down. At the moment, every indication is that there is no increased risk to any of the students in Reading, but the situation is evolving and if that changes we will take action if needed.’
