British scientists believe they may have found a way to protect humans against all strains of meningitis, including meningitis B, which claimed 10 lives in the Republic last year.
It follows the development of a vaccine by researchers which protects mice against the deadly disease.
While more research is needed, the researchers at the University of Surrey in Guildford believe it could be an important first step towards creating a single vaccine to protect humans.
Vaccines already exist against the A and C strains of the disease. Since the introduction of the meningitis C vaccine in the Republic in late 2000, the incidence of the disease has plummeted by almost 98 per cent.
Just three cases of meningitis C were reported here last year but before the vaccine was introduced there were an average of 130 cases and six deaths from group C meningococcal disease each year.
However, there is no vaccine to protect against meningitis B, of which there were 177 cases reported here last year. Ten of those who became infected died. Eight of the deaths were among under 25s.
If the vaccine successfully pioneered in mice by British scientists were to also be successful in treating humans, these lives could be saved. The research was published in the journal Infection and Immunity yesterday.
A spokesman for the Meningitis Trust in the UK, which funded the research, said: "Developing any vaccine is incredibly complex and meningitis is a very difficult bug to beat.
"But this research marks an important contribution to the development of a vaccine against this potentially fatal and devastating disease.
"The unique thing about this research is that it provides hope for a complete vaccine protecting people against all groups of meningococcal bacteria - the most common cause of meningitis worldwide".
Prof Johnjoe McFadden, who led the research team, genetically engineered a strain of meningitis B that is incapable of causing disease in mice. Although the bug belonged to the C group, mice injected with it produced antibodies that killed B and C bugs as well. The mice were effectively immunised against all three kinds of bacterial meningitis.
Prof McFadden's team is now planning further research to identify the proteins in the genetically-engineered strain that trigger this immune response in mice. They hope to have this work complete within three years.
- (Additional reporting: PA)