A  screening on the carrier of <I>Haemophilus influenzae</I> in healthy children

ObjectiveTo investigate the carry status of IHaemophilus influenzae/I（Hi)among healthy children in Jianggan district of Hangzhou city, provide data for prevention and management of Hi related diseases and contribute the concerning information that would be shared by the whole city. MethodsThroat swabs were applied on 101 healthy children aged in 3 groups: 6 months to 1 year old, 1 to 2 years old and 2 to 5 years old. Hi strains were isolated and identified. The Hi strains thus obtained were sub-classified by both serotyping and biochemical methods, and subject to test for sensitivity to twelve antibiotics and production of penicillinase. ResultsOf 101 throat swab samples from healthy children, 21 strains of Hi were isolated with the overall Hi carrying rate of 20.8%, among which 19 strains belonged to non-typed serotypes (NTHi) except for 1 strain of Hib and 1 strain of Hia (f). The Hi isolated strains from throat were tested for drug sensitivity to 12 different antibiotics that were frequently used in clinics, the highest degree of resistance was found to cotrimoxazole (57.1%), which was followed by tetracycline (14.3%), cefaclor (9.5%) and Ampicillin (4.8%). On the other hand, all the strains were sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, cefuroxime sodium, ceftriaxone, azitromycin, rifampicin and chloramphenicol. Only one strain of NTHi was detected to produce penicillinase (4.8%). ConclusionNTHi was dominant in the Hi strains isolated from healthy children throats, majority of which did not produce penicillinase.