Since the introduction in 1988 and the widespread use of the Hib vaccine, the number of new cases of Hib disease in infants and young children decreased by 99 percent to fewer that one case per 100,000 children younger than five years of age. The most prevalent strain is type b (Hib). One common type, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), causes serious disease. Evidence suggests that Hib immunization reduces the acquisition of Hib carriage in children, and reduced carriage among children may indirectly prevent Hib disease in adults . The risk of invasive Hib disease was higher among people aged 65 and older, compared to younger people. Hib disease is an invasive bacterial infection that at one time was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in young children; invasive means that germs spread to parts of the body that are normally germ-free.
Causes, How It Spreads, and People at Increased Risk. Childhood Hib immunization results in herd protection. lab icon. Prior to the introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines, invasive Hib disease affected almost exclusively children. CDC Home.
These infections usually affect children under 5 years of age, but can also affect adults with certain medical conditions. Thanks to the vaccine, serious cases of Hib disease have dropped by more than 99% since 1991. Hib disease used to be more common in the United States — about 20,000 children got serious Hib infections every year. It usually affects children under 5 years old. Now, Hib is seen more commonly in the elderly, unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children, and people with a weakened immune system.Hib disease may be transmitted through contact with mucus or droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person.Symptoms may include fever, lethargy, vomiting and a stiff neck. © European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) 2020 Unless treated, it may be transmitted for as long as the organism is present in the nose and throat, even after symptoms have disappeared.Children who had Hib disease when younger than 24 months of age may be at risk of getting Hib disease again.
Recommendations for scheduling of subsequent doses vary depending on the manufacturer. Other symptoms depend upon the part of the body affected.The incubation period for Hib disease is unknown, but is probably less than one week.If Hib meningitis occurs, death occurs in one out of 20 children and permanent brain damage in ten to 30 percent of the survivors.Antibiotics, such as cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, or ampicillin with chloramphenicol, are generally used to treat serious infections.
In the post-Hib vaccine era, invasive Hib disease affects adults, especially the elderly and immunocompromised individuals, more often than children (12, 35, 39, 44). Haemophilus influenzae disease is a name for any infection caused by bacteria called H. influenzae.. lab icon. The most prevalent strain is type b (Hib). The risk of invasive Hib disease was higher among people aged 65 and older, compared to younger people.
Haemophilus influenzae Disease (Including Hib) Section Navigation. A Vaccine for Children Has Cut Cases Among Youngsters, but There's No Vaccine for AdultsNow researchers report an uptick in invasive Hib disease seen among adults in Utah from 1998 to 2008. Rifampin, an antibiotic, is used in some circumstances as preventive treatment for persons who have been exposed to Hib disease. Fully 51% of invasive disease occurred among adults in this age bracket, and two-thirds of Hib-related deaths occurred among those aged 65 and older, the study showed. Children and adults who had Hib disease at 24 months of age or older are likely to be immune.There are currently several Hib vaccines licensed by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for routine use in children. Before the development of a vaccine, Hib was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among children less than five years of age.