Scientists discover why Kent meningitis outbreak was so severe
Scientists have identified that a recent meningitis B outbreak in Kent was caused by a new bacterial strain formed through horizontal gene transfer. This genetic change allowed the bacteria to spread more effectively in social settings, though experts confirm current vaccines remain effective.
Why it matters
Understanding how pathogens evolve through genetic exchange is critical for public health surveillance and vaccine development.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Jim Reed, Philippa Roxby and Michelle Roberts Reuters Scientists say they have discovered why the bacteria responsible for the UK's worst outbreak of meningitis B in Kent earlier this year proved so dangerous.
More than 20 young people, mostly students, were infected in the March outbreak , linked to a Canterbury nightclub. All needed hospital treatment, while nine ended up in intensive care and two died.
Experts at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the University of Oxford, who have looked at the DNA of the bacterium , say it picked up some genetic material from other bugs found naturally in the throats of some people.
This exchange created a new strain or variant that then spread between clubbers and caused severe illness.
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