GENES that make some children more susceptible to bacterial infections have been identified by Oxford University researchers.
The team performed a large study in Africa to identify which genes might be associated with bacteraemia, which is the leading bacterial cause of death in young children worldwide.
The study looked at DNA samples from more than 4,500 Kenyan children from the Kilifi part of the country where there is a high occurrence of bacteraemia.
The study found two genes associated with susceptibility to bacteraemia.
This will allow scientists who are searching for a cure for the disease to target new ways in which to do so.
Dr Anna Rautanen from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford said: "The genetic variants we identified have only been found in individuals with African ancestry.
"This is one of only a few large scale genetic studies carried out in Africa and highlight the benefits of carried out these studies with collaborators in Africa.
"Critically, the genetic variants we have identified carry a doubled risk of developing bacteraemia when infected with the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. This discovery therefore provides clues in the pressing search for new ways to target the disease."
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