The molecular characteristics of 44 H. influenzae strains were isolated from children with bacterial meningitis and 37 strains were isolated from children with acute respiratory infection were investigated. Of the 37 H. influenzae isolates from nasopharyngeal aspirates (NA), the serotype of 30 isolates were nontypeable, 4 were type b, 2 were type c and one was type a. Whereas those of 44 isolates from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were all type b. Twenty-six (70.3%) from NA and 23 strains from CSF were beta lactamase-producing, and the remaining strains were beta lactamase negative. PCR analysis to identify the resistant genes indicates 25 strains from NA and 21 strains from CSF had TEM-l-type-beta lactamase gene, 11 strains from NA and 22 strains from CSF lack all resistant genes, and each strain from NA and CSF had TEM-l-type beta lactamase gene and fts I gene with the same substitution as the low -betalactamase-negative ampicillin resistant (low-BLNAR) strain. No BLNAR strain was found. The MICs against 16 antibiotics between isolates from NA and CSF were similar except for penicillin G and ampicillin.
Haemophilus influenza ; Pediatrics ; Meningitis ; Bacterial Infections

Since the implementation of conjugate Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib) vaccine, the rate of infections caused by Hib has dramatically decreased, and the proportion of infections caused by non-type b H. influenzae has increased. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is rare; however, it should be considered as a potential complication of bacterial meningitis. Herein, we report about a child who developed CVST after being diagnosed with H. influenzae serotype f meningitis.
Bacteremia ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Haemophilus influenzae type b ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Haemophilus ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Meningitis, Haemophilus ; Sepsis ; Serogroup ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) has been one of the most common causes of invasive bacterial infections in the young children during the pre-vaccine era. The polysaccharide vaccine developed in the 1970s was composed of the capsular polysaccharide of Hib. The polysaccharide vaccine was not not effective in children younger than 2 years old those who are the highest risk group. In the 1980s, the protein conjugate vaccine was developed employing diphtheria toxoid, tetanus taxoid or outer membrane protein of Neisseria meningitidis as carrier proteins. The protein conjugate protein is highly effective in young infants. In countries where Hib conjugate vaccine is included in routine immunization, Hib disease is almost eradicated. The incidence and spectrum of Hib disease vary among different countries. The incidence of Hib diseases among Korean infants and young children is lower compared to those of western countries; the incidence of Hib meningitis in children under 5 years of age is around 10 per 100,000 per year, compared to around 50 in the United States and 20-30 in the European countries. Immunogenicity of Hib vaccine in Korean infants is very good and the responsiveness of Korean infants to Hib vaccine vaccine is better than that of the U.S. infants, which may has implication for the apparently lower incidence of Hib disease in Korean children. Hib vaccine was introduced in the early 1990s, and has been recommended for high risk children and used as an optional vaccine among healthy infants. Hib vaccine is not included in the National Immunization Program yet, but the Committee on Infectious Disease, Korean Pediatric Society, have decided to include the Hib vaccine in the routine immunization program in 2008. Hib vaccine should be included in the National Immunization Program in the near future and a surveillance system for Hib disease should be established.
Bacterial Infections ; Carrier Proteins ; Child ; Communicable Diseases ; Diphtheria Toxoid ; Haemophilus ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Haemophilus influenzae type b ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunization Programs ; Incidence ; Infant ; Influenza, Human ; Membrane Proteins ; Meningitis ; Neisseria meningitidis ; Tetanus ; United States

China ; Haemophilus Infections ; Haemophilus influenzae type b ; Humans ; Research ; trends

Child ; Consensus ; Haemophilus Infections ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Humans ; Infant

OBJECTIVETo characterize the incidence, epidemiologic features, etiologic agents and sequelae of bacterial meningitis in children under 5 years of age in Nanning, Guangxi.

METHODSA population-based surveillance was conducted to evaluate children with signs and symptoms of meningitis. All hospitals, township health centers and village clinics in the surveillance area were structured to participate in the case referral and evaluation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood specimens were obtained and processed using standardized microbiologic methods.

RESULTSDuring the 26-month surveillance period, among the children under 5 years old, a total of 1272 cases who met the screening criteria of meningitis were studied. 265 of 1272 cases were identified as clinically diagnosed meningitis, with an incidence rate of 86.36 per 100 000 population. The annual incidence rate under the 38 cases of confirmed bacterial meningitis appeared to be 12.38/100 000. Staphylococcus species accounted for the largest proportion of laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis, followed by E. coli and S. pneumoniae. The highest attack rate occurred in neonates < 1 month, followed by children aged 1 - 12 months in the confirmed patients. Meningitis caused by Sp and Hi mainly occurred in children aged 1 - 12 months. All cases of meningitis due to Hi and Sp were children aged 1 - 24 months. 13.16% and 0.00% of the cases survived with complications and sequelae, and the case-fatality rate was 18.42%. 40 bacterial isolates were identified from 1193 blood cultures and 23 from 1211 cerebrospinal fluid samples, but no Neisseria meningitidis was found.

CONCLUSIONMeningitis due to Hi was first confirmed in Guangxi with the incidence of 0.98 per 100 000 population. The annual incidence rate of confirmed bacterial meningitis was 12.38 per 100 000, which was considered an important public health problem in children. Staphylococci was the predominant pathogen in confirmed bacterial meningitis.

Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Meningitis, Escherichia coli ; epidemiology ; Meningitis, Haemophilus ; epidemiology ; Population Surveillance ; Staphylococcal Infections ; epidemiology

Fifty-five strains of Haemophilus influenzae recovered at a children's hospital in Korea from 1992 through 1997, were analyzed for serotype and antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by broth dilution method. Among the 55 strains, 26 were from normally sterile body fluids, of which 17 were from the immunocompetent children. Spectrum in the immunocompetent included meningitis (47%), bacteremic pneumonia (18%), and bacteremia without focus (35%). Three (12%) of 26 invasive infections were caused by non-type b: one type d and two type f. Nine of 29 non-sterile body fluid isolates belonged to one of encapsulted serotypes: four a, two c, one of each of b, d and e. Thirty two (58%) strains were resistant to ampicillin, and all of which produced beta-lactamase. All of the strains were highly susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefixime, cefuroxime, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin, while 1 (2%), 7 (13%), 4 (7%) and 4 (7%) strains were intermediate to cefprozil, cefaclor, loracarbef, and clarithromycin, respectively. The serotype distribution of H. influenzae in Korean children is similar to those in developed countries before the introduction of Hib conjugate vaccine, and ampicillin resistance rate is among the highest published to date.
Antibiotics/pharmacology* ; Child ; Haemophilus Infections/microbiology* ; Haemophilus Infections/drug therapy ; Haemophilus Vaccines ; Haemophilus influenzae/isolation & purification ; Haemophilus influenzae/drug effects* ; Haemophilus influenzae/classification ; Human ; Korea ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Serotyping

PURPOSE: Because children with asplenia have an increased risk of fulminant infection associated with a high fatality, chemoprophylaxis, and vaccinations against encapsulated bacteria are recommended. However, there have been few reports of the burden of severe bacterial infection and the current status of chemoprophylaxis and immunization among children with asplenia in Korea. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including children with asplenia who were treated at our institute between January 1997 and December 2016. RESULTS: From a total of 213 children with asplenia, 114 (53.5%) had congenital asplenia and 58 (27.2%) had functional asplenia. The remaining 41 (19.3%) had acquired asplenia with the median age at splenectomy being 12.2 years (range, 5.0 to 16.9 years); the most common cause of splenectomy was hereditary spherocytosis (39.0%). The chemoprophylaxis rate was 16.4%. The immunization rates were 44.1% for pneumococcus, 53.0% for Haemophilus influenzae type B, and 10.7% for meningococcus. The incidence of invasive bacterial infection among children with asplenia was 0.28/100 person-year; a total of six episodes (2.8%) were observed in five patients with congenital asplenia and one patient with functional asplenia. The median age for these infections was 15 months (range, 4 to 68 months). Five of the six episodes were bacteremia, and the other was meningitis. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=3), followed by H.influenzae (n=1). Three of the six patients (50.0%) died, all of whom had pneumococcal bacteremia. None of the six had chemoprophylaxis or proper vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is an increased risk of a severe infection proper vaccinations and chemoprophylaxis are still lacking. Physicians should be encouraged to implement appropriate chemoprophylaxis and immunizations for patients with asplenia.
Bacteremia ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections* ; Chemoprevention ; Child* ; Haemophilus influenzae type b ; Humans ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Neisseria meningitidis ; Retrospective Studies* ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Diseases ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: Because children with asplenia have an increased risk of fulminant infection associated with a high fatality, chemoprophylaxis, and vaccinations against encapsulated bacteria are recommended. However, there have been few reports of the burden of severe bacterial infection and the current status of chemoprophylaxis and immunization among children with asplenia in Korea. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including children with asplenia who were treated at our institute between January 1997 and December 2016. RESULTS: From a total of 213 children with asplenia, 114 (53.5%) had congenital asplenia and 58 (27.2%) had functional asplenia. The remaining 41 (19.3%) had acquired asplenia with the median age at splenectomy being 12.2 years (range, 5.0 to 16.9 years); the most common cause of splenectomy was hereditary spherocytosis (39.0%). The chemoprophylaxis rate was 16.4%. The immunization rates were 44.1% for pneumococcus, 53.0% for Haemophilus influenzae type B, and 10.7% for meningococcus. The incidence of invasive bacterial infection among children with asplenia was 0.28/100 person-year; a total of six episodes (2.8%) were observed in five patients with congenital asplenia and one patient with functional asplenia. The median age for these infections was 15 months (range, 4 to 68 months). Five of the six episodes were bacteremia, and the other was meningitis. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=3), followed by H.influenzae (n=1). Three of the six patients (50.0%) died, all of whom had pneumococcal bacteremia. None of the six had chemoprophylaxis or proper vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is an increased risk of a severe infection proper vaccinations and chemoprophylaxis are still lacking. Physicians should be encouraged to implement appropriate chemoprophylaxis and immunizations for patients with asplenia.
Bacteremia ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections* ; Chemoprevention ; Child* ; Haemophilus influenzae type b ; Humans ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Neisseria meningitidis ; Retrospective Studies* ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Diseases ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Vaccination

BACKGROUND: Invasive bacterial infections in apparently immunocompetent children were retrospectively analyzed to figure causative bacterial organisms in Korea. METHODS: A total of 947 cases from 25 university hospitals were identified from 2006 to 2010 as a continuance of a previous 10-year period study from 1996 to 2005. RESULTS: Escherichia coli (41.3%), Streptococcus agalactiae (27.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (27.1%) were the most common pathogens in infants < 3 months of age. S. agalactiae was the most prevalent cause of meningitis and pneumonia and E. coli was the major cause of bacteremia without localizing signs in this group. In children 3 to 59 months of age, Streptococcus pneumoniae (54.2%), S. aureus (20.5%), and Salmonella spp. (14.4%) were the most common pathogens. S. pneumoniae was the leading cause of pneumonia (86.0%), meningitis (65.0%), and bacteremia without localizing signs (49.0%) in this group. In children ≥ 5 years of age, S. aureus (62.8%) was the predominant pathogen, followed by Salmonella species (12.4%) and S. pneumoniae (11.5%). Salmonella species (43.0%) was the most common cause of bacteremia without localizing signs in this group. The relative proportion of S. aureus increased significantly over the 15-year period (1996–2010) in children ≥ 3 months of age (P < 0.001), while that of Haemophilus influenzae decreased significantly in both < 3 months of age group (P = 0.036) and ≥ 3 months of age groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: S. agalactiae, E. coli, S. pneumoniae, and S. aureus are common etiologic agents of invasive bacterial infections in Korean children.
Bacteremia ; Bacterial Infections ; Child ; Epidemiology ; Escherichia coli ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Salmonella ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae