Several different bacteria can cause meningitis but Neisseria meningitidis -- which is to blame for this outbreak -- is one of the most significant because of its potential to cause epidemics.
In the late 1990s Novartis researchers decoded the genome of the Neisseria meningitidis B bacterium, which is responsible for one-third of cases of meningococcal meningitis.
In the late 1990s Novartis (nyse: NVS - news - people ) researchers decoded the genome of the Neisseria meningitidis B bacterium, which is responsible for one-third of cases of meningococcal meningitis.