Fulminant neonatal sepsis due to Haemophilus influenzae

A case of fulminant neonatal Haemophilus influenzae sepsis is presented. A 29-year-old woman presented at 34 weeks gestation with premature labor but with intact membranes. The male infant died 8 h after delivery due to respiratory insufficiency. Ante-mortem blood cultures and post-mortem blood and lung cultures yielded H. influenzae (biotype II) which could not be serotyped. H. influenzae was cultured from the mother's cervix 5 days after delivery. This strain was of the same biotype and also nonserotypable. Serum obtained from the mother exhibited reduced bactericidal activity against the isolates. We suggest the use of selective media in routine cervix cultures from pregnant women to detect H. influenzae, which might be responsible for neonatal septicemia.