Bacteremic Haemophilus influenzae genitourinary tract infections in adults

Six cases of bacteremia associated with genitourinary (GU) tract infections in adults due to Haemophilus influenzae occurred during a 42-month period at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. Four cases were associated with pregnancy or abortion, one with acute salpingitis, and one with urinary tract manipulation. Four of the five strains available for serotyping were nontypable. Clinical conjunctivitis was present in one patient, and infants born to two other patients developed purulent conjunctivitis from which H influenzae was grown. These six cases, and others from the literature, include a wide spectrum of GU tract infections due to this organism. With the rising incidence of severe infections in adults due to this organism, and the widespread emergence of ampicillin-resistant strains, H influenzae must be considered a GU tract pathogen.