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Assessing Respiratory Immune Responses to Haemophilus Influenzae
06:32

Assessing Respiratory Immune Responses to Haemophilus Influenzae

Published on: June 29, 2021

Haemophilus influenzae type b diseases in children: a pre-vaccination study

M Bakir1, A el-Khadir, K Devadas

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Ministry of Health, Al-Ain hospital, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal = La Revue De Sante De La Mediterranee Orientale = Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit
|August 31, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Acute invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections were common in UAE children before vaccination. Most cases involved meningitis in infants, leading to significant morbidity but no deaths.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) caused severe invasive diseases in children before widespread vaccination.
  • Data on the clinical and laboratory features of invasive Hib diseases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prior to vaccination are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics of acute invasive H. influenzae diseases in children admitted to a tertiary pediatric ward in Al-Ain, UAE.
  • To establish a baseline understanding of Hib disease burden before the introduction of the Hib vaccine in the UAE.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for children diagnosed with bacteriologically proven invasive H. influenzae disease.
  • Analysis of clinical presentations, laboratory findings, and outcomes over a 4-year period.

Main Results:

  • 38 children had invasive H. influenzae disease; all isolates were serotype b.
  • Meningitis was the most common diagnosis (60.5%).
  • The majority of affected children (66%) were under 12 months of age, with significant morbidity observed in 12 children, though no deaths occurred.

Conclusions:

  • Invasive Hib disease posed a substantial health burden on young children in the UAE prior to vaccination.
  • The findings underscore the importance of the Hib vaccine in preventing severe pediatric infections and associated complications.

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