Haemophilus lnfluenzae Type B (Hib, Haemophilus b)

• Meningitis por H. influenzae - Medline Plus Información de Salud para Usted

What is Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease?

Hib is a bacterial illness that can lead to a potentially deadly brain infection in young children. Hib may cause diseases such as meningitis (inflammation of the coverings of the brain and spinal column), bloodstream infections, pneumonia, arthritis and infections of other parts of the body. Type B (Hib) is one of six types and is the most common type to cause invasive disease. It is the only one which is vaccine preventable.

Who gets Hib disease?

Hib disease can occur at any age, but those at increased risk of invasive HIB disease are children younger than 5 years of age, adults 65 years or older and American Indian and Alaska Native people. There are certain medical conditions that can also increase someone's risk of HIB disease such as asplenia, HIV infection, immunoglobulin and complement component deficiencies, malignant neoplasms requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplant, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy and sickle cell disease. Groups at increased risk of Hib disease include daycare classmates of someone with Hib disease, household contacts of someone with Hib disease and unimmunized and under immunized children younger than 5 years old

How is Hib disease spread?

Hib disease may be transmitted through contact with mucus or droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person.

What are the symptoms of Hib disease?

Symptoms may include fever, lethargy, vomiting and a stiff neck. Other symptoms depend upon the part of the body affected.

How soon do symptoms appear?

The incubation period for Hib disease is unknown, but is probably less than one week.

What are the possible complications associated with Hib disease?

Serious infections can result in sepsis, long-term problems, or death. Sepsis is a life-threatening emergency resulting from the body's extreme response to infection. Long-term problems can include brain damage or hearing loss from meningitis. Loss of limbs from bloodstream infections. Between 3% to 6% of Hib cases in children with meningitis die from the disease. People 65 years or older with invasive Hib disease have higher case-fatality ratios than children.

What is the treatment for Hib disease?

Antibiotics, such as cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, or ampicillin with chloramphenicol, are generally used to treat serious infections. Rifampin is used in some circumstances as preventive treatment for persons who have been exposed to Hib disease.

When and for how long is a person able to spread Hib disease?

The period of time a person is able to spread the disease varies. Unless treated, it may be transmitted for as long as the organism is present in the nose and throat, even after symptoms have disappeared.

Does past infection with Hib disease make a person immune?

Children who had Hib disease when younger than 24 months of age may be at risk of getting Hib disease again. Children and adults who had Hib disease at 24 months of age or older are likely to be immune.

Is there a vaccine for Hib disease?

There are currently several Hib vaccines licensed by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for routine use in children. Immunization authorities recommend that all children be immunized with an approved Hib vaccine beginning at two months of age. Recommendations for scheduling of subsequent doses vary depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, it is important to consult with your physician.

Some older children and adults with special conditions are at an increased risk for infection with Hib and should be vaccinated if they were not vaccinated in childhood. These conditions include sickle cell disease, removal of the spleen, bone marrow transplant, cancer treatment with drugs that weaken the immune system, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

In New York State, Hib vaccine is required for all children enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs.

What can be done to prevent the spread of Hib disease?

The single most important preventive measure is to maintain a high level of immunization in the community. Rifampin, an antibiotic, is used in some circumstances as preventive treatment for persons who have been exposed to Hib disease.