Posted November 19, 2018
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was a common childhood infection1 the US before the development of the Hib vaccine. It’s unrelated to the influenza virus and, indeed, isn’t even a virus; but the fact that the disease was caused instead by a bacteria wasn’t discovered until after the organism had already got its name. Type b is one of six encapsulated serotypes of the bacterium, which are designated types a through f. There are also unencapsulated or “nontypeable” strains. Type b accounted for 95 percent of H. influenzae cases and was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children under age five. Read more.