Meningitis cases across England have doubled in the last year causing a leading charity to warn people not to become complacent about the potentially deadly disease.
Meningitis is an infection of the membrane protecting the brain and spinal cord, usually caused by a virus or bacteria.
Most people who catch meningitis recover within ten days, but in some rare cases it can be deadly.
Latest figures released by the UK Health Security Agency show that cases of Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) have increased across the nation from just 80 in 2020-2021 to 205 cases in the 12 months from July 2021 to June 2022.
The stats also show that 179 of these were caused by MenB (meningococcal group B) with most of those (84 cases) occurring in adolescents and young adults aged between 15 and 24 years old.
The figures indicate that nearly a third of MenB cases occurred in children under five and a similar number (32 per cent) of MenB cases occurred in adults.
Meningitis Now chief executive Dr Tom Nutt says the new figures are 'very concerning' and show there's 'still some way to go in the battle to defeat the disease'.
Referring to the latest stats, he says: “For much of this time the country was still in lockdown, when many of us were isolating or practising social distancing. As these restrictions eased, meningitis cases have in turn risen from what had been a historic low in the previous year.
“We did expect that cases of meningitis would increase following the pandemic, but these new figures indicate that there is still more to be done. We all need to remain aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis so that people know to act quickly and to seek urgent medical help to save lives.”
Cases in adults
Along with the rise in cases of IMD, the charity is also increasingly concerned about the number of fatal cases of meningitis occurring in adults over the past three months.
Dr Nutt added, “We’re hearing about more cases of student-age and middle-aged adults dying from meningitis. While we wait for more statistical detail on the scale of this apparent rise, anecdotally we are aware of many more cases occurring in recent months. It is important that we all stay vigilant to the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.
“It’s vital that people seek urgent medical support if they suspect meningitis and keep up to date with all vaccinations. It is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from meningitis.”
Six of the key warning signs of meningitis
Fever and/or headaches
Body temperatures rising to 37.8C or above is classed as a fever, for which you should always seek medical help.
A fever on its own does not mean a person has meningitis, however, so it's important to be aware of the other symptoms.
Along with a fever and sickness, a headache is another one of the very first signs of meningitis.
Vomiting
Anyone who is vomiting or unable to keep down their food could be unwell and should get medical help if this is occurring alongside other symptoms.
A rash
Meningitis can often, but not always, lead to rashes on the skin.
While a rash alone doesn't indicate meningitis, one way to distinguish is by rolling a glass over it to see if it fades.
If the rash is still the same colour when pressed against glass, you should seek urgent medical help.
Muscle aches and pains and/or a stiff neck
Muscle spasms, stiffness in the neck or general aches and pains are common signs of meningitis, both during the illness and in the months afterwards.
Sensitivity to light
Aversion to bright lights can also be an early warning sign. Especially when paired with drowsiness if a person is difficult to wake or is having trouble staying awake.
Seizures
If a person is also having fits or seizures along with other symptoms urgent medical help should be sought by calling 999.
All these symptoms can appear in any order, according to the NHS, and not all of them may be present in meningitis cases.
More support
Anyone concerned about aspects of the disease or who need help can call Meningitis Now's freephone nurse-led helpline on 0808 80 10 388, or e-mail helpline@meningitisnow.org. In a medical emergency call 999.
