A cluster of early neonatal sepsis and pneumonia caused by nontypable Haemophilus influenzae.

Nine premature infants developed early onset sepsis and/or pneumonia with Haemophilus influenzae during a period of 53 months (January 2000 -May 2004). Their respiratory problems were pneumonia-like rather than classic respiratory distress syndrome. In 8 of the cases, the pathogen was a beta-lactamase-negative, nontypable H. influenzae. In the remaining case, the Haemophilus identified was type d. Before January 2000, no case of beta-lactamase-negative, nontypable H. influenzae sepsis or pneumonia had been recorded.