TLR4+896 mutants are highly associated with post-meningitis hearing loss and combined carriership of the TLR2+2477 WT with TLR4+896 mutant alleles as well as the combination of TLR4+896 mutant alleles with TLR9 -1237 mutant alleles significantly increases this risk. This evidence concerns the gene TLR9 and meningitis.