Student dies from meningitis

The university says the two cases are not thought to be linked

A 20-year-old student from the University of Sussex has died from suspected meningitis.

The woman was admitted to St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey, on Friday morning - she died late on Saturday evening.

Professor Alasdair Smith, vice-chancellor of the university, said: "We are greatly saddened by the loss and offer our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

"One has to be concerned about a situation in which a young person has died.

"The university is taking very careful advice from the Health Protection Agency and we are encouraging our students to be very vigilant about the risks, although we are advised the risks of a further case are reasonably small."

Disease symptoms

A spokeswoman for the university, which has around 11,000 students, said the woman who died was living off campus.

The woman, who was in her second year, was one of two students taken to hospital with symptoms of the disease.

The other student was separately admitted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on Monday with suspected meningococcal septicaemia.

The first year undergraduate, who lives in halls accommodation on the main campus at Falmer, near Brighton, is said to be responding well to treatment.

The university has said the risk of anyone else contracting the disease is very small.

Antibiotics given

The two cases are not thought to be linked.

Angela Inverso, from the Health Protection Agency, said: "It is always of concern because while we have a number of meningococcal cases each year obviously they are single isolated cases and we do not get any further cases.

"Unfortunately this time it looks like there might possibly be a second case and that is of concern.

"That is why we are doing everything we can to work with the university to take the right actions."

Information and advice about meningitis has already been circulated to students and staff and those who have been in close contact with both students have been given antibiotics.