Two schools in Berkshire have been linked to a meningitis outbreak, which has resulted in the death of a Henley College pupil. HSE revealed the pupils being treated attended Bluecoat School in Reading, Highdown Secondary School and the High School Centre.The response from health officials, schools and health experts has evolved following the confirmation of a meningitis outbreak and the death of a student at Henley College, The Guardian reports.On Thursday, HSE confirmed the death of a Henley College student from the disease. It is worth noting that the Berkshire strain is different from the meningitis B strain that caused the recent meningitis outbreak in Kent.Dr Rachel Mearkle addresses growing concerns among parents, students and staff. She said: “We know many people will be affected by this sad news and our condolences go out to the student’s friends and family.“Students and staff are naturally concerned about the possibility of further cases; however, meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and thankfully, as we have seen recently in Kent, large-scale outbreaks are rare.“We are working closely with our partners and providing public health advice and preventive antibiotic treatment to close contacts of cases. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily and the risk to the wider public remains low.”Officials say the disease is spread through close and sustained contact. Around 300 to 400 patients are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year. The most vulnerable groups are infants, teenagers, young adults and young children. Symptoms often include fever, headache, nausea, drowsiness, chills, shortness of breath, and cold extremities.In March, an outbreak of meningitis in Kent resulted in two deaths and more than a dozen patients being taken to hospital. In light of this, public health officials acted quickly after the outbreak in Berkshire.Henley College released a statement following the student’s death. A college representative said: “We offer our condolences and sincere condolences to the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. We are supporting those affected within the university community and following the advice and guidance provided by the UK Health Safety Authority. “Out of respect for the family, we will not be providing further details at this time,” the statement added.“Andrew Preston, a professor at the University of Bath, said the epidemic is usually prevalent among young people and university students. He said: “Like the outbreak in Kent, the latest outbreak is again among university age groups.“All current cases appear to be contained within a clear social contact group and contact tracing can be fast-tracked and antibiotics and vaccinations administered if deemed necessary precautions.“At this time, there is no indication that the virus will spread to the wider community, although this will understandably cause widespread concern in the region.”In 2015, the National Health Bureau has included MenB vaccine in the routine immunization schedule for children. Health authorities continue to urge parents to be alert to any symptoms in their children and to cooperate with authorities in taking all necessary precautions.