title: [Haemophilus influenzae type b: epidemiological situation in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1993-1997].
abstract: Among Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) invasive diseases, pneumonia and meningitis are the most relevant in public health due to their frequency and severity. From 1993 to 1997, there were 720 cases of Hib meningitis in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, representing the most frequent cause of bacterial meningitis in infants (< 1 year) and the second most frequent among all causes of meningitis. The total estimated cases of invasive Hib diseases thus appear to justify the recent inclusion of the vaccine in the basic immunization protocol. The vaccine's high cost reinforces the need for more precise monitoring of the etiological diagnosis of meningitis cases, representing one of the weaknesses in the prevailing epidemiological surveillance system.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Graduação em Enfermagem, Faculdade de Medicina do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, 38015-050, Brasil. sybelle@mednet.com.br
authors.forename: Sybelle de Souza Castro
authors.initials: Sde S
authors.lastname: Miranzi
authors.forename: Luiz Antonio Bastos
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: Joaquim Gonçalves
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Valente
mesh_terms: D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial