Kent Meningitis Outbreak, Schizophrenia Biomarkers, Bowel Cancer Archive, and Hedgehog Ultrasound Research

The Naked Scientists discuss a sudden meningitis outbreak in Kent caused by MEN B, including how vaccines and rapid public health actions protect close contacts and at-risk groups. The episode also covers potential biomarkers for schizophrenia discovered in cheek cells and their potential diagnostic value, a century-spanning plan to compare archived bowel cancer samples with modern cases to understand the rise in early-onset disease, and a study showing hedgehogs can hear ultrasound, which could inform car-based sound repellents to reduce road fatalities.

Meningitis Outbreak in Kent and Public Health Response

The program opens with health officials describing an unprecedented meningitis outbreak in Kent caused by the MenB (Meningococcus B) strain. Dominic Kelly explains that meningococcus exists in multiple serogroups and is carried by a significant portion of the population, typically causing disease only in a minority of exposed individuals. The focus is on rapid public health actions: hospital treatment for the ill, quick identification of close contacts, and provision of antibiotics to reduce transmission. The discussion also touches on the short incubation period and the use of targeted vaccination strategies, including two MenB vaccines that cover many strains and the logic of focusing vaccination on groups most at risk during an outbreak. “The meningococcus comes in different types and we give them a letter to differentiate them.” — Dominic Kelly, paediatric infectious disease consultant and vaccinologist, Oxford Vaccine Group.

Vaccination is discussed as a tool for outbreak control rather than an immediate fix, with notes on timing and dosage: full protection typically requires two doses, with several weeks before strong immunity develops. The speaking team emphasizes vigilance for meningitis symptoms across the country and the importance of early care if symptoms such as fever, neck stiffness, or a non-disappearing purple rash appear.

Schizophrenia Biomarkers in Cheek Cells

The podcast then shifts to US research identifying two biomarkers in living patients that appear to signal schizophrenia, namely SP4 mRNA and heat shock protein 60. Bonnie Fierstein, from the University of Kentucky, explains the rationale and approach: moving from post-mortem studies to living subjects by testing cheek cells for these markers and correlating levels with learning, memory performance, and symptom severity. A key finding is that higher SP4 mRNA and higher heat shock protein 60 levels are associated with worse cognitive function and more severe symptoms, suggesting potential utility for early diagnosis or treatment monitoring.

The study is described as a pilot with 27 diagnosed patients, highlighting limitations such as the need to assess markers in adolescence, evaluate medication effects on marker levels, and determine how discrete these biomarkers are from other psychiatric conditions. A notable quote from Fierstein underscores the potential value of combining multiple biomarkers with clinical symptomatology to distinguish schizophrenia from related disorders such as bipolar disorder or depression. “There are two of these [markers] that we were able to confirm are indeed increased in patients with schizophrenia and correlate with symptoms and also with learning and memory issues.” — Bonnie Fierstein, University of Kentucky.

Archived Bowel Cancer Samples to Explain Early-Onset Disease

Back in London, Trevor Graham of the Institute of Cancer Research discusses leveraging a hospital archive of bowel cancer samples stored for decades to investigate why cases in people under 50 are increasing. The team plans to compare historical specimens (from the 1950s onward) with contemporary cancers, applying histopathology and genome analysis to detect DNA changes that might reflect microbial damage in the bowel lining. A leading hypothesis centers on changes in the gut microbiome, including a particular Escherichia coli type that may damage the intestinal lining and drive early-onset cancer.

The interview clarifies the conceptual challenge: is the modern bowel cancer identical to the disease seen 50 or 60 years ago, or is there a shift in biology or risk factors? Graham emphasizes that something environmental or lifestyle-related has changed, and that the archive allows a cross-temporal apples-to-apples comparison by examining mutations characteristic of microbial damage. The team also contemplates screening strategies for at-risk young adults and potential microbiome-targeted interventions to prevent cancer development.

Hedgehog Ultrasound and Road Safety

The final segment features Sophie Lund Rasmussen from the University of Oxford, who explains research into hearing in European hedgehogs, which can detect ultrasound up to about 85 kilohertz. This finding opens the possibility of designing high-frequency sound repellers for cars that deter hedgehogs without affecting humans or domestic pets, though there are concerns about potential impacts on bats and other wildlife. Rasmussen emphasizes the need to identify which sounds reliably deter hedgehogs and to test for any negative ecological effects as research moves toward collaboration with industry.

She notes hedgehogs’ strongest hearing around 40 kilohertz and discusses the broader question of how hedgehogs communicate in ultrasound, which may be invisible to us but ecologically meaningful for them. The conversation ends with a call for the car industry to participate in funding and feedback, aiming to reduce road traffic deaths among this beloved species.