Diseases caused by Hemophilus influenza type b (Hib)

Hemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a bacterium that can cause severe infections especially in children under 5 years of age such as:meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, Infections of bones and joints and severe infection at the base of the tongue that may cause suffocation (epiglotitis).

The infection is transmitted through droplets and secretions that the infected person releases into the environment. In an unprotected (susceptible) person, the disease manifests itself within seven days after the bacteria enters the body.

In susceptible children who become infected, an infection of the upper respiratory tract may occur, which could lead to inflammation of other tissues and organs either through local spread or through the bloodstream.

Signs and symptoms of the disease

Epiglotitis: The epiglottis is a leaf-shaped flap in the throat behind the tongue that prevents food from entering the windpipe and the lungs. When it gets infected with HIB, it becomes swollen, and as it is at the entrance to the airway, the enterance narrows, and thus endangers the child's breathing capacity, therefore, his/her life. The child falls ill, turns pale, is upset, has an open mouth from which saliva drips, has difficulty swallowing and the swallowing is painful, breathing is complicated and is audible. Such a condition requires urgent medical intervention.

Meningitis an other complications: By entering the bloodstream, through the upper respiratory tract, Hib spreads throughout the body and causes infection and inflammatory processes in other places: meninges, lungs, joints, subcutaneous tissue, most often the face and neck, etc.

Even today, these complications can occur in unvaccinated children, and the signs of the disease depend on the affected organ. Before the introduction of the vaccine, this bacterium was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis, which manifests with a rise in body temperature, headache, drowsiness, stiff neck, vomiting and mental disorders. Despite the use of antibiotics, in 3% -6% of children, HIB meningitis is fatal and in up to 30% of affected children it ends with hearing impairment.

Treatment

Severe Infections are treated in the hospital with antibiotics.

Prevention

Severe diseases that can be caused by Hib bacteria can best be prevented by vaccination. The vaccine given to children in the first years of life is a conjugate vaccine (Hib), which means that part of the bacteria (polysaccharide antigen) binds to protein such as tetanus protein in order to stimulate the production of antibodies and to induce a long term immune memory.

The Hib vaccine can be administered as a monovalent vaccine, or as part of a combined vaccine together with vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and polio, at the age of 2 months, 3.5-4 months, 5-6 months and 12-18 months.