Professor Christoph Tang, who led the research at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, said: 'These infections are extremely dangerous to vulnerable groups, particularly young children, and can cause blindness, brain damage and limb loss. We hope that this research will help us understand how the bacteria cause disease, and might one day help us prevent serious infection.'
How meningitis bacteria 'slip under the radar'
- 25 September 2013
- Research
Scientists have discovered a natural temperature sensor in a type of bacteria that causes meningitis and blood poisoning. The sensor allows the bacteria to evade the body’s immune response, leading to life-threatening infections.