Epidemiology of Invasive Haemophilus influenzae Disease, Europe, 2007–2014

• Main Authors: Robert Whittaker, Assimoula Economopoulou, Joana Gomes Dias, Elizabeth Bancroft, Miriam Ramliden, Lucia Pastore Celentano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2017-03-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease; epidemiology; Europe; serotype; surveillance; coccobacillus
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/3/16-1552_article

We describe the epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease during 2007–2014 in 12 European countries and assess overall H. influenzae disease trends by serotype and patient age. Mean annual notification rate was 0.6 cases/100,000 population, with an increasing annual trend of 3.3% (95% CI 2.3% to 4.3%). The notification rate was highest for patients <1 month of age (23.4 cases/100,000 population). Nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi) caused 78% of all cases and showed increasing trends among persons <1 month and >20 years of age. Serotype f cases showed an increasing trend among persons >60 years of age. Serotype b cases showed decreasing trends among persons 1–5 months, 1–4 years, and >40 years of age. Sustained success of routine H. influenzae serotype b vaccination is evident. Surveillance systems must adopt a broad focus for invasive H. influenzae disease. Increasing reports of NTHi, particularly among neonates, highlight the potential benefit of a vaccine against NTHi.