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The Disease You
may never have heard of Haemophilus influenzae type b, or "Hib"
disease. For some reason Hib disease has never become as well known as
other childhood diseases, but it is just as dangerous. As recently as
the mid-1980's, Hib disease struck one child out of 200 under 5 years
old in the United States. Every year about 12,000 children got meningitis
(inflammation of the covering of the brain) as a result of Hib. In fact,
Hib disease was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children
under five. About 1 in 4 of these children suffered permanent brain damage,
and about 1 in 20 died. In addition, about 8,000 children a year suffered
from other serious complications, such as pneumonia. Hib
is a bacterial disease. It is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing,
or even breathing. Hib bacteria enter a child's system through the nose
or throat, and if they stay in the nose and throat the child will probably
not become sick. But sometimes the bacteria spread into the lungs or bloodstream.
This is called "invasive" Hib disease, and it can cause serious
complications. In addition to meningitis, invasive Hib disease can lead
to:
Most
invasive Hib disease occurs in children under 5 years old, and up to 60%
in children younger than 1 year. The disease is not common in older children
or adults. Most Hib disease today strikes infants who are not immunized. It probably takes about 2-4 days from the time a child is exposed to Hib bacteria until symptoms appear. An infected person can spread the disease to others for as long as the bacteria remain in the body. Antibiotics can stop spread within 2-4 days. U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES |