Vaccine hope for deadly brain bug

Research may produce another meningitis vaccine

Scientists have made progress towards the first vaccine for the potentially-fatal "B" strains of meningitis.

They have mapped out the complete genetic structure of the bacterium and could use this massive amount of information to make the jab.

In particular, they have detected a few parts of the bacterium that make it so dangerous, and could target them.

At the moment there is a vaccine against the "C" strains of meningitis, which can also cause death, but none for the "B" strains.

However, experts warned that it could be years before any vaccine is freely available.

There were more than 1,500 confirmed cases of bacterial meningitis in the UK last year.

The "B" strains are thought to have caused approximately 60% of these.

Killer illness

Bacterial meningitis caused some 150 deaths last year in the UK.

Scientists unlocked the genetic structure of the bacterium

The scientific team which "sequenced the genome" - mapped the genetic structure - of the bug is based at the Institute for Genomics Research in Maryland, US.

Another team, from Oxford University, was also involved, and the results were published in the journal "Science".

There are five separate types of "B" meningitis, and potentially a vaccine could be effective against all of them.

But work has already started to produce a vaccine based on just one single type of "B" meningitis.

Dr Rino Rappuoli, one of the genome sequence researchers, said: "Through this research we also have a better understanding of the disease process.

"Using these insights, we are creating a vaccine capable of protecting against the broad diversity of invasive strains."

Children under five appear to be particularly vulnerable to meningitis.

A spokesman for the National Meningitis Trust said: "This is very good news. The lack of a vaccine for meningitis "B" is a huge gap.

"However, it could be years before it is available."

The symptoms of bacterial meningitis are a very high temperature, stiff neck, and a blotchy red or purple rash which does not fade when the side of a glass is pressed against it.

Medical help should be sought as swiftly as possible if the illness is suspected, as antibiotics must be delivered quickly to control the infection.

The government has embarked on a mass vaccination programme against the "C" strain.

This is aimed at 15-17 year olds, and also babies.