Haemophilus Influenzae Prophylaxis

Haemophilus Influenzae General Information

Haemophilus Influenzae is considered a nonmotile, small, Gram-negative species of bacteria that belongs to the Pasteurellaceae family. This parasitic family is known to also include pathogens such as Actinobacillus and Pasteurella – two types of bacteria that affect animals. This pathogen (commonly abbreviated as H. influenzae) has proven to present a high adaptability to a human organism (a host). Studies have shown that about 75% of all healthy adults and children present this bacterium in their naso-pharynx. The presence of this pathogen is rarely found in the oral cavity of patients. No other animal species can be affected by this pathogen. The distribution of this bacterial pathogen among human patients is widespread. Pfeiffer was the first individual who was able to isolate the bacterium in the 1890, during an influenza (flu) pandemic. He mistook this bacterium for the cause of influenza (the disease), and for this reason, the pathogen was named this way. It is thought that the infection with the Haemophilus Influenzae was a secondary disease that affected areas with influenza epidemics (this is quite common even for the flu epidemics of our days). The presence of this pathogen is responsible for the developing of several medical conditions; one of the most severe is the bacterial form of Meningitis.

Haemophilus Influenzae Prophylaxis

Meningitis due to a bacterial pathogen (such as H. Influenzae) is considered one of the most common causes of disability and also death in the case of children patients from all over the world. Studies have shown that more than 1,000,000 cases of bacterial meningitis in children are used to be reported on an early basis and about 200,000 infant deaths due to the same cause used to occur each year. Fortunately, a vaccine has been implemented against this awful medical condition, and it is one of the most important options contained by a guidebook regarding the Infection with the Haemophilus Influenzae Prophylaxis. The employment of Hib conjugated vaccines has effectively diminished the number of deaths due to this medical condition.

Individuals who have benefited from the use of the PRP vaccine (with a special ingredient called polyribosyl ribitol phosphate) has also proved an effective remedy against bacterial meningitis. The frequency of H. influenzae infections has also diminished due to another important vaccine that employs a protein conjugated form of the PRP vaccine (another advice given by most of the Infection with the Haemophilus Influenzae Prophylaxis guide-books). Such vaccines are based on the type b capsular polysaccharide, which is able to demand a powerful primary response from the organism’s antibodies. However, this presents very little memory induction. Luckily, Hib conjugated vaccines which fight against the same bacteria couple the polysaccharide to a special protein, thus being able to induce memory responses from the organism’s antibodies (including in the case of children). 

Such vaccines are praised by most Infections with the Haemophilus Influenzae Prophylaxis techniques due to their high effectiveness and because most of them are suitable for use in infants who are older than one year and 3 months (some of them can even be prescribed to children who are 2 months old). The vaccines are generally administered as immunization shots, in 2 or 3 medical doses.

Haemophilus Influenzae Treatment

Almost all individuals who have been diagnosed with the presence of an infectious condition caused by the Haemophilus Influenzae bacterium are cured, especially if their clinical illness has been diagnosed in an early stage. However, in the case of bacterial meningitis, 30% of infants who recover from this severe condition will present residual neurological manifestations. The main medicine of choice in the therapy against patients who suffer from an infection with the H. influenzae bacterium used to be Ampicillin. However, in our days, almost 20% of all strains of this dangerous bacterium have developed resistance to the effects of this antibiotic, due to the production of a substance called plasmid-mediated ß-lactamase.

Individuals who are suffering from an infectious disorder due to a type of Haemophilus Influenzae bacterium that is not able to produce that special substance (ß-lactamase) receive a therapy with Ampicillin. The other clinical cases are generally prescribed Chloramphenicol and / or other cephalosporin medications (such as Cefotaxime). The use of Erythromycin has proven to be inefficient in such clinical cases. Respiratory infections due to the H. influenzae bacterium may be dealt with, with the help of sulfa medicines and Tetracycline.