A nine-month-old baby girl is critically ill with meningitis as health officials respond to a rapidly developing outbreak in Kent that has already claimed two young lives and left 15 people in hospital
A baby girl is critically ill with meningitis following a severe outbreak in Kent that has already taken two young lives. Nine-month-old Nala-Rose Fletcher, from Folkestone, is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, with her parents by her side.
Her condition is stable, but her family reveals she faces forthcoming surgeries that will be “life-changing” for her. It is believed that Nala-Rose, who is vaccinated, fell ill on March 4 – just days before a cluster of cases surfaced in Canterbury.
However, her parents, Danielle Trott and Nick Fletcher, state they had not been in the city prior to their daughter’s illness, and are still awaiting information on what strain she has contracted.
They admit they are only just starting to grapple with what has transpired. “Nothing can truly prepare you for the pain and fear that comes with what we’ve been living through, and are still living through,” they said through a fundraising page.
“There have been moments that have felt utterly overwhelming, and at times desperately lonely. But you – all of you – have completely blown us away.”
“The kindness you’ve shown us, through your generosity and your words of support, has meant more than we can express.
“Nala-Rose is still very poorly and remains in intensive care. We already know she will be left with lasting difficulties for the rest of her life, and that’s something we’re only beginning to come to terms with.
“What your support does, more than anything, is remind us that we are not facing this alone. And right now, that means everything.
“Thank you, all of you, from the very bottom of our hearts.”
Nala-Rose’s illness emerges as health officials tackle a swiftly escalating outbreak of meningococcal meningitis in Kent, with confirmed infections among teenagers and students in Canterbury and nearby areas.
So far, 15 cases have been confirmed – all necessitating hospital treatment – with two fatalities.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been asked whether they are connecting Nala-Rose’s illness to the broader outbreak but states it cannot comment on individual cases.
Over £3,000 has been raised to assist her family through a JustGiving appeal established by Dan Atkinson at Ramsgate-based Guildcrest Homes and its sister companies, The Coffee Club and Guildcrest Estates.
The fundraiser has been widely shared, with hundreds of individuals donating and sending messages of support.
In a separate post, Nala-Rose’s mum encouraged other parents to act swiftly if they suspect symptoms.
She wrote: “Please don’t hesitate if you think your child may have this.”
Awful, nasty disease and time is EVERYTHING!”
The tragic deaths confirmed by the UKHSA include a University of Kent student and Juliette, a Year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham.
Public health investigators believe several of those who fell ill had visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury shortly before exhibiting symptoms.
More than 2,000 people are believed to have attended the nightclub across three nights – March 5, 6. and 7 – sparking a massive operation to treat those who may have been exposed.
Anyone who attended the venue on those dates is being encouraged to come forward for preventative antibiotics.
The club has since shut “until further notice”.
The outbreak has also been connected to a house party in Whitstable, whilst cases have been detected at several schools and amongst university students.
A targeted vaccination programme for students residing in halls at the University of Kent is also set to commence within days.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “This is an unprecedented outbreak. It is also a rapidly developing situation.”
The UKHSA has confirmed the strain behind the outbreak is Meningitis B, known as MenB. Routine vaccination against MenB was introduced for babies in 2015, but many older teenagers and young adults will not have received it.
Despite concerns, officials say the overall risk to the broader public remains low and the outbreak is currently contained within Kent.
Warning signs of meningitis can include a high temperature, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, confusion, sensitivity to light and unusual rashes, as well as extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking.
Health experts stress that urgent medical attention should be sought immediately if symptoms appear.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite said: “This is by far the quickest-growing outbreak I’ve ever seen in my career, and I think probably any of us have seen of meningitis for a very long time.
“Whilst it remains an outbreak that is having its consequences in Kent, it is obviously of national significance.”
UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said: “This looks like a super-spreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residents in the universities.
“There will have been some parties particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing.
“I can’t yet say where the initial infection came from, how it’s got into this cohort, and why it’s created such an explosive amount of infections.
“I can say that in my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single weekend with this type of infection.
“It’s the explosive nature that is unprecedented here. The number of cases in such a short space of time.
“NHS were initially managing it as a major incident in the region but they have now increased that overlay to having a national-level oversight as well.”