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A woman employed at the Orano nuclear fuel center in La Hague, in France's northwestern Manche department in Normandy, died of meningitis on Thursday, March 19.
The death prompted a meningitis alert across the facility. About 50 colleagues were identified as close contacts, having spent prolonged time with the patient in the 10 days before her death, potentially exposing them to the disease through droplets or respiratory secretions.
Emergency measures were implemented at the site. Close contacts will receive preventive antibiotics and be isolated. No connection has been found between this case in France and the separate outbreak in southeastern England.
U.K. authorities reported that meningitis cases under investigation increased from 27 to 29 on Friday, although the rate of increase has slowed. The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed 18 cases, with 11 still under investigation.
The outbreak, identified over the weekend, is centered on the University of Kent in Canterbury and a student nightclub. Two young people have died: 18-year-old Juliette Kenny and a 21-year-old student.
Kenny died on March 14, one day after first showing symptoms. "The illness took her from us so quickly," her father, Michael Kenny, told the PA news agency, describing her as having a "beautifully positive energy."
Kenny and the Meningitis Research Foundation are urging the UK government to expand access to the meningitis B (menB) vaccine for teenagers and young adults. "No family should experience this pain and tragedy," he said. "Juliette's impact on this world must be a lasting change."
Vinny Smith, chief executive of the Meningitis Research Foundation, stated that the organization had previously requested routine availability of the menB vaccine through the National Health Service (NHS), but health authorities deemed it "not to be cost-effective." Routine vaccination for babies began in 2015.
The University of Kent has launched a targeted vaccination program for approximately 5,000 students, with hundreds lining up on campus each day to receive the vaccine.
Meningitis is a potentially fatal infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. If not treated promptly, it can lead to sepsis. The disease is most common in young children, teenagers, and young adults.
Initial symptoms include headache, fever, drowsiness, and stiff neck, which can resemble other illnesses and delay diagnosis.
The disease can progress quickly, with additional signs such as a distinctive rash. Meningitis spreads through prolonged close contact, including kissing or sharing drinks or vapes.
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