The research has identified the new genes acquired by the outbreak strain. The analysis found that the bacteria had picked up genetic material from other bacteria that can live harmlessly in the human throat.
This process, known as horizontal gene transfer, allows bacteria to acquire new traits in a single step. In this case, the changes alter structures involved in how the meningococcus interacts with human cells, obtains iron from their host, and avoid recognition by the immune system, helping to explain the unusual severity of the infections.
The outbreak, linked to a nightclub in Canterbury, was unusual for the number and severity of cases occurring within a short period. Researchers say the findings demonstrate how rapidly meningococcal bacteria can change and underline the importance of genomic surveillance in understanding and responding to outbreaks.
The full press release can be read here. The BBC coverage on this story can be read here.
Read the paper
Charlene MC Rodrigues, Jay Lucidarme, Rachel Exley, Jack Llewellyn Clark et al (2026). Emergence of short-lived meningococci causing focal epidemics can be associated with gene transfer from carriage-associated Neisseria. bioRxiv
Tang lab
Understanding how pathogens colonise specific niches in the body, evade elimination by the immune system, and cause disease
Infection and Immunity
Several Dunn School groups use a range of approaches to investigate antigen presentation and immune regulation during health and disease and study the mechanisms that enable bacterial and viral pathogens to invade and proliferate inside their hosts.