UK Reports Unprecedented Outbreak of Inflammatory Disease, 2 Dead

UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting in Durham, England, on Feb. 28, 2026. Ian Forsyth/Getty ImagesTwenty cases of meningococcal disease have been confirmed or are suspected in an outbreak in Kent, England, and two people have died, the UK Health Security Agency said on March 18.Meningococcal disease, or meningitis and septicaemia, is an uncommon disease caused by bacteria that can, in certain cases, cause severe illness such as swelling of the brain lining or bloodstream infection.