DiseaseINFOPACK: Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a gram-negative bacterium which is a major cause of acute otitis media (AOM) and invasive infections such as bacteremia and pneumonia. The pathogen can also cause meningitis in children and adults. In the US, the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention estimates that H.influenzae caused greater than 4,500 cases of invasive disease resulting in 405 deaths in 2007 of which around 60% of case were due to NTHi1. For AOM, current knowledge of the natural infection and pathogenesis of NTHi is limited but becoming an important new research area for vaccine manufacturers.

This DiseaseINFOPACK report is an expert secondary review of the current literature (March 2009) providing the reader with a detailed overview of the pathogen, its epidemiology, through to its clinical impact in major clinical manifestations. The report also includes a focus on the changing microbiology of AOM and the relative importance of NTHi according to currently available journal literature per country. An assessment of the AOM/NTHi dynamics with regard to current and new pneumococcal vaccines e.g. GSK Biological’s Synflorix is also included.