Father pays tribute to 'kind-hearted' son in Berkshire meningitis outbreak
Father pays tribute to 'kind-hearted' son in Berkshire meningitis outbreak
The father of Henley College student Lewis Waters mourns his son as Berkshire records three meningitis cases, including two Reading pupils; authorities urge precautionary antibiotics for contacts.
The father of Lewis Waters, a student at Henley College in Oxfordshire, has paid tribute to his son, describing him as funny, sociable and kind-hearted. He said Lewis developed sepsis within hours of feeling ill and, despite expert care in the ICU, could not be saved.
Lewis was one of three meningitis cases in Berkshire. The other two are pupils at Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown, a secondary school and sixth form centre. Close contacts have been offered antibiotics as a precaution and the college has offered support to its community.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed that the infection is not the same meningitis B variant linked to a Kent outbreak in March. Reading Blue Coat School said it is working closely with health officials and supporting affected families.
The incident highlights the speed with which meningitis can strike and the ongoing public health response to trace contacts and contain the outbreak.
