title: Epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b disease in Scandinavia.
abstract: In all Scandinavian countries, most invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections occur before the age of 5 years. The age-specific incidence of Hib meningitis in this age group is 26-35/100,000 per year in Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden and about 43/100,000 per year in Iceland. Of the meningitis patients, approximately 60% are younger than 2 years but Hib meningitis also occurs in older children and adults. The case fatality rate is low (1-3%) in children but the rate of neurological sequelae is considerable. The incidence of acute epiglottitis, the other main manifestation of Hib disease, varies considerably. In Sweden, four studies have shown a very high incidence in the age group 0-4 years, 21-34 cases/100,000 population per year compared to only 5-17 in the other Nordic countries. Epiglottitis is more common than Hib meningitis in older children and adults. In Scandinavia the age-specific incidence of all invasive Hib infections could be estimated to be about 50-65/100,000 per year in the most susceptible age group and the risk of contracting invasive Hib disease before the age of 15 years would be about 1/200-300 children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Göteborg, Ostra Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Claesson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004826:Epiglottitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000494:pharmacology; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial