Scientists close in on key to killer meningitis

Oxford University scientists claim to have discovered the genes that transform harmless meningitis bugs into killers. This breakthrough is expected to boost development of a vaccine against the meningitis B strain of the disease responsible for 60 per cent of infections in Britain.

Although a successful vaccination programme has been introduced to combat meningitis C, there is no vaccine for the B strain. It is hoped that a vaccine against meningitis B will be ready for development by 2001.