General Description

Hib causes the most common type of bacterial meningitisand is a major cause of systemic disease in children younger than 6 years old. The chances of contracting the disease areabout 1 in 200. Of these contractees, 60% of all patients developmeningitis, while 40% display systemic signs. Hib isa tremendous problem in daycare centers, where the risk ofcontracting the disease is 400 times greater than in the generalpopulation. Hib has approximately a 10% mortalityrate, and one third of all survivors have some sort of permanentdamage, such as hearing loss, blindness, or impaired vision.Hib can also cause a throat inflammation that results infatal choking or ear, joint, and skin infections.