Determination of Antibiotic Resistance Pattern of Haemophilus Influenzae isolated from Egyptian patients in Ain Shams University Hospitals

Abstract

Haemophilus influenzae is a small (1 µm × 0.3 µm), pleomorphic, gram negative coccobacillus. Some strains of H influenzae possess a polysaccharide capsule, and these strains are serotyped into 6 different types (a-f) based on their biochemically different capsules. The most virulent strain is H. influenzae type b (Hib). Some H. influenzae strains have no capsule and are termed nonencapsulated H. influenzae or nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi). The epidemiology of invasive infections caused by H. influenzae is distinct from non invasive infections. NTHi is a major cause of mucosal infections such as otitis media, sinusitis, conjunctivitis and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, associated with the formation of biofilms. Pulmonary disease, HIV infection (and other immunodeficiency states), alcoholism, pregnancy, and malignancy may predominate in adults with invasive Hib disease. Encapsulated type b Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) was responsible for most of the invasive disease (meningitis) prior to the use of Hib vaccines. As Hib vaccines have no effect on infections due to nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi), in areas