PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Begum, Nurum N.
AU  - Al-Khattaf, Abdul-Aziz S
AU  - Kambal, Abdelmageed M.
AU  - Yeboah, Edward A.
TI  - Prevalence of H.influenzae biotypes and their clinical significance in a University Hospital
DP  - 2003 Dec 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 1308--1312
VI  - 24
IP  - 12
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/24/12/1308.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/24/12/1308.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2003 Dec 01; 24
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Hemophilus influenzae is an important pathogen that is responsible for invasive and non-invasive infections in both children and adults. This study aims to assess the relationship of biotypes to the sites of infection, serotypes, antimicrobial susceptibility, b-lactamase production and age.METHODS: A total of 200 isolates of H.influenzae were obtained from clinical specimens over a period of 12 months from January 2001 through to January 2002 from King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.RESULTS: Most of the strains were non-typable and were isolated from patients with non-invasive infections. The typable isolates from invasive infections mostly serotype b were isolated from blood, cerebrospinal fluid and hip joint aspirate. Biotype II accounted for 37% of the isolates followed by biotypes III and I (29.5% and 23%). The remaining 10.5% were made up of biotypes IV, V, VI and VII. A significantly high resistance to cotrimoxazole (33.5%) and ampicillin (19%) was observed. Two point five percent of the isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol. All the isolates resistant to ampicillin were b-lactamase producers and susceptible to cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and rifampicin.CONCLUSION: This study revealed that biotypes II and III are the predominant biotypes of H.influenzae found in non-invasive infections. There is an apparent relationship between biotype and site of infection which could be useful as an epidemiological marker.