Meningitis strikes students at Cambridge

Published on Sunday 4 November 2007 00:14

THREE Cambridge University students were yesterday recovering after contracting meningitis. University officials said the students - two men and a woman - had become ill within the past 10 days and were "well on the road to recovery".

Two were studying at St Catharine's College and the third at Trinity College. A university spokesman said doctors had traced everyone the sick students had been in close contact with. Other students were being urged to report any health problems to doctors.

The spokesman said a man studying at Trinity became ill on October 26, then a man studying at St Catharine's fell ill on October 29 and a woman student at St Catharine's on October 31.

He said all three were undergraduates and had been admitted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. The Health Protection Agency was monitoring the outbreak.

"There have been no more cases," added the spokesman. "The situation is being monitored and the HPA is aware. Life is going on normally at the university. There is no need for panic, nor is there any panic."

The university houses nearly 20,000 students, who began the new term in October. An HPA spokeswoman said the cases were likely to be officially classed as an outbreak when more tests had been completed.

"Every year there are one or two cases at universities when students go back. It's not unusual," she said.

"There's no need to panic. It's business as usual. If anyone has any concerns they should go to their GP."