The family of a teenager who died following a meningitis outbreak in Reading has shared a picture of him as they share their “devastation.”
Lewis Waters, a sixth-form student at Henley College in Oxfordshire, died earlier this week after three young people were diagnosed with the infection.
In a Facebook post, Lewis’ father Sean Waters said the family was “devastated”, adding that “words simply can’t describe the heartbreak and upset we’re going through.”
Mr Waters wrote: “Within a few hours of feeling a bit ill, he developed sepsis and was taken from us.
“He fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team but they just couldn’t save him
“We’re absolutely devastated.”
He added: “If you didn’t know Lewis, he was a funny, sociable, kind hearted soul.”
Two other pupils from different schools in Reading - Reading Blue Coat and Highdown Secondary School - are also being treated for meningitis, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
One of the cases was confirmed as MenB (meningitis B), which was the same strain behind a cluster of fatal cases in Kent earlier this year.
The UKHSA said it had identified a common social network between Lewis and the two other young people. Their close contacts are all being offered antibiotics as a precaution.
A statement from Henley College said its "thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student's family and friends at this extremely difficult time
"We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency.”
The college has advised students and staff to attend college as normal, but to be alert to signs and symptoms of the infection.
Earlier this year, two students died in a meningitis outbreak in Kent. One of the students, 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, was described as “fit, healthy, and strong” prior to her death.
Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: “We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student.
“Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks, as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.
“We are working closely with partners and have provided public health advice and precautionary antibiotic treatment to close contacts of the cases. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily and the risk to the wider public remains low.”
