LONDON

A hospital in England waited for two days before reporting a case of meningitis to the country's health security agency, a move experts called indefensible, the media reported Wednesday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was first alerted to a case by the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate on March 13 although the patient had arrived at the hospital two days earlier, the BBC reported.

The hospital, run by East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust, admitted to the British broadcaster that it had missed an opportunity to alert the agency sooner as there is a legal requirement for cases to be reported immediately.

"We recognize there was an opportunity prior to diagnosis to notify UKHSA,' said Des Holden, acting chief executive of East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust.

Experts criticized the delay, saying it may have put people at risk.

"Delaying reporting a case is indefensible," said Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious disease at the University of East Anglia.

"You don't wait for a formal diagnosis when it comes to meningitis – you report it straight away so it can be investigated," he added.

As of Tuesday, the agency has been notified of 20 confirmed and two probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease with epidemiological links to Canterbury, Kent.

Two people, a 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a sixth-class student, died of the disease.

Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious illness caused by meningococcal bacteria. In some cases, it can lead to severe conditions such as meningitis and septicemia (blood poisoning), which can rapidly progress to sepsis.

The onset of illness is often sudden, and early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital.

Symptoms can include fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, a characteristic rash, and cold hands and feet.