Following the recent meningitis B outbreak in Kent, Professor Jeremy Derrick, an expert in molecular microbiology affiliated with the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, spoke with the Manchester Evening News to explain why this pathogen remains such a sophisticated threat. The outbreak highlights the volatile nature of bacterial evolution and the ongoing challenge of maintaining herd immunity among young people.

Professor Derrick described the relationship between our immune system and the bacteria as a constant “arms race,” noting that while most of us have some natural defences, the organism is adept at adapting to evade them.

“There is a sort of arms race between us and the bacteria going on all the time which means that most healthy individuals have some degree of immunity. But then the organism adapts in order to evade that immunity.” 

 

 Professor Jeremy Derrick

Read the full article at the Manchester Evening News.

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