Kuroki H, Ishikawa N, Uehara S, Himi K, Sonobe T, Niimi H
Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
Acta Paediatr Jpn. 1997 Oct;39(5):541-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1997.tb03637.x.
Healthy carriers of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) play an important role in the spread of invasive Hib disease. The aim of the present study was to estimate Hib colonization among infants and children in Japan. Specimens from throat and nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained by thorough swabbing of both tonsils and the posterior pharynx. Specimens were inoculated on Hib antiserum agar. This was prepared with Levinthal base and Hib antiserum. Conventional methods were used concomitantly. Four of 474 infants from 1-48 months of age (0.84%) had Hib cultured from their nasopharynx. The carriage rate in 1-12 months old infants was 0.62% (2/322 cases), and that in 13-48 month old children was 1.32% (2/152 cases). Five of 167 (3.0%) 13-year-old children, and five of 154 (3.2%) 9-year-old children were asymptomatic carriers. Thirty-five of 104 household contacts of a patient with invasive Hib disease (33.6%) had Hib colonization. The carriage rate in healthy Japanese children may not be different from that in the USA prior to the availability of the conjugate Hib vaccine. The Hib carriage rate in household contacts of patients with invasive Hib disease was higher than in healthy children (P < 0.005). Our results suggest the possibility of an outbreak of invasive Hib disease in Japan.
b型流感嗜血杆菌（Hib）的健康携带者在侵袭性Hib疾病传播中起重要作用。本研究旨在估计日本婴幼儿中的Hib定植情况。通过彻底擦拭双侧扁桃体和咽后壁获取咽喉和鼻咽培养标本。将标本接种于Hib抗血清琼脂上。该琼脂用列文塔尔培养基和Hib抗血清制备。同时使用传统方法。474名1至48个月大的婴儿中有4名（0.84%）鼻咽部培养出Hib。1至12个月大婴儿的携带率为0.62%（2/322例），13至48个月大儿童的携带率为1.32%（2/152例）。167名13岁儿童中有5名（3.0%）、154名9岁儿童中有5名（3.2%）为无症状携带者。104名侵袭性Hib疾病患者的家庭接触者中有35名（33.6%）有Hib定植。在日本健康儿童中的Hib携带率可能与美国在结合型Hib疫苗可用之前的携带率没有差异。侵袭性Hib疾病患者家庭接触者中的Hib携带率高于健康儿童（P<0.005）。我们的结果提示日本可能爆发侵袭性Hib疾病。
