Meningitis typically occurs as isolated one-off cases. How has an infection that requires close and prolonged physical contact, that spreads more slowly than measles, Covid or flu, caused such a rapid outbreak?

脑膜炎通常以零散的个别病例形式出现。一种需要密切和长时间身体接触，且传播速度慢于麻疹、新冠或流感的感染，是如何引发如此迅速的疫情爆发的？

As of 17 March, there were 20 cases of invasive meningococcal disease, including two deaths. Health officials believe all the initial cases are linked to a wave among people who attended Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury, on 5, 6 or 7 March.

截至 3 月 17 日，已出现 20 例侵袭性脑膜炎球菌感染病例，其中包括 2 例死亡。卫生官员们认为，所有初始病例都与 3 月 5 日、6 日或 7 日前往坎特伯雷“化学俱乐部”（Club Chemistry）夜总会的人群中发生的一波感染有关。

But students gathering and sharing vapes and drinks in a busy nightclub is a scene repeated up and down the country, rather than a unique event.

但是，学生们在繁忙的夜店聚集、分享电子烟和饮料，这种场景在全国上下都很常见，并非个别现象。

For Prof Andrew Preston, from the University of Bath, there has either been an "astonishing rate of transmission", or the infection is proving to be "more invasive" this time.

巴斯大学的安德鲁·普雷斯顿教授认为，要么是出现了“惊人的传播速度”，要么是这次感染被证明具有“更强的侵袭性”。

With at least 11 cases linked to Club Chemistry, the head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Susan Hopkins, said: "This looks like a super spreader event with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities."

鉴于至少有 11 例病例与夜店“化学俱乐部”有关，英国卫生安全局（UKHSA）负责人苏珊·霍普金斯表示：“这看起来像是一起超级传播事件，且疫情正在大学学生宿舍内持续扩散。”

Samples collected from patients are being analysed in the laboratory. So far it appears to be a strain that has been circulating for the past five years. Further analysis of the bacterial genetic code will reveal if it has mutated in a meaningful way.

从患者身上采集的样本正在实验室进行分析。目前看来，这似乎是过去五年一直在传播的毒株。对细菌基因序列的进一步分析将揭示它是否发生了具有实质意义的突变。

"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, " says Hopkins.

“我还无法断定最初的感染源自何处，它是如何进入这个群体的，以及为什么会产生如此大规模的感染。”霍普金斯说。

The UKHSA started a full-scale response on 15 March, including preparations for distribution of antibiotics on the university campus.

英国卫生安全局已于 3 月 15 日启动了全面应对措施，包括准备在大学校园分发抗生素。

On 17 March, the UKHSA announced a targeted vaccination programme against MenB for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent. It says the programme could be expanded later.

3 月 17 日，英国卫生安全局宣布，为肯特大学住宿生开展针对 B 型脑膜炎球菌的疫苗接种计划。该机构表示，该计划随后可能会进一步扩大。