What is hib infection?
This is a group of diseases caused by the bacterium Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), also known as Haemophilus influenzae. These diseases are the most dangerous for children under 5 years old: they can lead to lifelong disability and even death.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
Because Hib infection causes a number of diseases, the symptoms depend on which organ or system is affected.
One of the most common diseases caused by Hib bacteria is Hib meningitis (an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). Its symptoms are as follows:
- fever
- headache or stiffness of the occipital muscles
- nausea with or without vomiting
- increased sensitivity to light
- confused consciousness
- refusal to eat and drink, reduced reaction to external stimuli or irritability (in children)
Hib infection can also cause the following diseases:
- pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs)
- epiglottitis (swelling of the epiglottis, which quickly leads to airway obstruction and significantly complicates breathing)
- bacteremia (blood infection)
- septic arthritis (inflammation of the joints)
- cellulitis (inflammation connective tissue in the skin)
– otitis (inflammation of the ears)
– pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart)
How can you get infected?
Hib bacteria are localized in the nasopharynx and can be transmitted to other people by airborne droplets: when an infected person sneezes, coughs or simply talks to you from a close distance (less than 1.5 m). Persons who do not have symptoms of the disease, but are carriers of the bacteria, can also infect others. This is how Hib infection spreads most often.
How dangerous is this disease?
Hib infection is extremely dangerous. Most sick children require hospitalization. According to statistics, from 3 to 6% of all cases of hemophilia b type infection in children are fatal. Even with timely treatment, 1 out of 20 children who are infected with one of the diseases caused by Hemophilus bacillus - Hib meningitis - dies. 1 in 5 children who get Hib meningitis will suffer from such consequences as brain damage or deafness.
How to protect against HIV infection?
The only effective prevention of this deadly disease for children is vaccination.
Using the example of the USA, we can see the effectiveness of vaccination against hemophilic infection. Until 1985, Hib infection was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis and one of the most common causes of epiglottitis, pneumonia, septic arthritis, and purulent pericarditis in children under 5 years of age in the United States. Meningitis occurred in ⅔ of all cases of invasive disease; 15-30% of young patients after recovery faced lifelong complications: hearing problems or serious neurological symptoms. After the introduction of mass vaccination against this infection, the incidence among children under 5 years decreased by a record 99% during 1989-2000 and amounted to 1 case per 100 thousand children.
Vaccination against Hib infection is included in the National Vaccination Calendar, so it can be obtained at budget cost.
According to the Ukrainian vaccination calendar, children are vaccinated against Hib infections at the age of 2, 4 and 12 months. Both monovaccine against Hib infection and Pentahib 5-component vaccine (for whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, Hib infection and hepatitis B) can be used for vaccination against hib in communal medical facilities. Also, if you wish or due to the temporary lack of a vaccine in the polyclinic, you can purchase the following vaccines at your own expense:
Hiberix (monovaccine against Hib infection);
Infanrix IPV CIB (from whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, CIB infection);
Infanrix hexa (from whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, HIV infection, hepatitis B);
Pentaxim (for whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, HIV infection);
Hexaxim (from whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, HIV infection, hepatitis B);
Vaccination against Hib infection is carried out until the age of 5 years (if the child "catch up" with the calendar and starts vaccination after 12 months, then one dose is enough for him). After 5 years, only certain medical risk groups are vaccinated against hemophilic infection.