Haemophilus influenzae

Cause: Bacterium Haemophilus influenzae. Invasive disease due to any of the 6 capsular types, including type b (Hib) in a child under 5 years of age, is reportable.

Illness and treatment: Invasive syndromes can include meningitis, bacteremia, epiglottitis, pneumonia, or bone and joint infections. Symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, vomiting, light sensitivity and confusion. About 10% of cases surviving H. influenzae meningitis have permanent neurological damage. Treatment is with antibiotics.

Sources: Humans, including asymptomatic carriers, are the reservoir and transmit through respiratory droplets or direct contact.

Additional risks: Unimmunized or underimmunized infants and children are at risk, especially when they are taken into crowded settings.

Prevention: Immunization of all infants prevents H. influenzae type b infection. Respiratory and hand hygiene prevent transmission.

Recent Washington trends: 4 to 13 cases (due to all serotypes) are reported annually.

Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance

  • To correctly identify the serotype of invasive Haemophilus influenzae (HI) organisms in children under 5 years old.
  • To monitor the effectiveness of immunization programs and vaccines and to assess progress toward elimination of pediatric H. influenzae serotype B (Hib) invasive disease
  • To identify children exposed to Hib cases and closely observe them for signs of illness
  • To recommend antibiotic prophylaxis and/or immunization to appropriate contacts of Hib cases
  • To identify additional cases and establish risk factors for cases of non-Hib invasive H. influenzae disease.

Legal Reporting Requirements

  • Health care providers and Health care facilities: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction; only invasive cases under 5 years old are reportable.   
  • Laboratories: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction; only cases under 5 years old are reportable; submission required – isolate or if no isolate available, specimen associated with positive result, within 2 business days (see Section 1C2).
  • Local health jurisdictions: notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE) within 7 days of case investigation completion or summary information required within 21 days.

Resources

Notifiable Conditions Directory

2022 Communicable Disease Report (PDF)

LHJ CD Epi Investigator Manual (PDF)

Washington Disease Reporting System - WDRS

Disease Surveillance Data

epiTRENDS

Legal Requirements

List of Notifiable Conditions

Local Health Jurisdictions

Specimen Submission Forms