Student died from meningitis

The student was taken ill on Friday and died on Saturday

A student who died suddenly at the University of Sussex did have meningitis, health officials have confirmed.

The 20-year-old woman died late on Saturday evening, having been admitted to hospital on Friday morning.

Blood tests revealed on Tuesday that she had the group B strain of the meningococcal bacteria.

Antibiotics have been issued to immediate friends and family and a helpline has been set up at the university.

The 20-year-old, who has not been named, was taken to St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey on Friday.

'Greatly saddened'

A university spokeswoman said the student, who was in the second year of her course, had been living off campus.

Professor Alasdair Smith, vice-chancellor of the university, which has about 11,000 students, said: "We are greatly saddened by the loss and offer our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends."

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

But blood tests on the first year undergraduate, who lives in halls accommodation on the main campus at Falmer, near Brighton, proved negative.