An in-depth genetic analysis of the MenB bacteria that caused the Kent meningitis outbreak has identified multiple genetic changes. These changes could explain why this specific MenB strain has an increased potential to cause disease, according to Professor Robert Heyderman, Professor of Infectious Diseases at University College London (UCL).
The analysis suggests the outbreak MenB strain acquired some of these genetic changes by obtaining genes from MenB-related bacteria and more distant relatives that typically do not cause illness. The exact timing of these acquisitions is uncertain, as the changes are unlikely to have occurred simultaneously. It is possible the outbreak strain was carried by healthy individuals for some time before conditions were right for an outbreak.
While this MenB strain shows increased disease potential, the genetic changes may not have made it more transmissible. Authors of the pre-print speculate that due to this likely low transmissibility, further disease episodes and outbreaks are less probable. Ongoing genetic surveillance of both carriage and disease MenB strains is needed to confirm this.