A set of genes which renders people more prone to meningitis has been pinpointed by researchers.
The international team compared DNA from 1,400 people with bacterial meningitis and 6,000 healthy individuals, Nature Genetics reports.
They found differences in a family of genes involved in the immune response seem to make people more or less susceptible to the infection.
It is hoped the findings will lead to the development of new vaccines.
The researchers were looking at meningitis caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacterium, which leads to swelling of the lining of the brain and blood poisoning.
It is not the first time researchers have attempted to find out if some people are more likely to catch meningitis because of their genetic make-up.
But results have previously been unclear, probably because of the small number of people studied.
In the latest study, researchers first scanned the whole genetic code of 475 British patients with meningococcal disease and 4,700 healthy individuals.
They found a clear difference in a small set of genes known to be involved in the immune system response.
When they looked again in two other European populations they found the same result. BBC News
