LONDON

More than 30,000 people in the UK’s Canterbury area are being contacted by health authorities following a meningitis outbreak that has left two young people dead and several others seriously ill.

One of those who died was a student at the University of Kent, while the other was a Year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham.

A further 11 people are seriously ill in hospital, according to British media reports on Monday. Most of those affected are believed to be aged between 18 and 21, with a number of them students at the University of Kent.

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The illness can become life-threatening if not treated quickly.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it is arranging antibiotics for some students in the Canterbury area as a precaution while the investigation continues.

Health officials said the specific strain of the disease responsible for the outbreak has not yet been identified.

Authorities are continuing to contact people who may have been exposed as efforts to contain the spread of the infection continue.