Haemophilus influenzae Disease Surveillance and Trends

For Public Health

Key points

  • CDC tracks invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease using 2 surveillance systems.
  • Invasive disease refers to when bacteria invade parts of the body, like blood, that are normally free from germs.
  • CDC doesn't track non-invasive H. influenzae disease, such as ear infections.
  • Learn about the latest trends in invasive H. influenzae disease.
An illustration of data.

Data systems

National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System

Invasive H. influenzae disease is a nationally notifiable disease.

CDC collects national information about invasive H. influenzae disease through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). CDC receives NNDSS data each week.

For Everyone About National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System

Active Bacterial Core surveillance

CDC also collects information from laboratories in 10 areas of the country through Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs). ABCs is part of CDC's Emerging Infections Program.

Bact Facts Interactive

You can analyze and visualize ABCs H. influenzae data.
Use Bact Facts Interactive

How the data are interpreted

Disease trends

The epidemiology of invasive H. influenzae disease has changed since the United States began using Hib vaccines. Hib vaccination began for children in 1987 and for infants in 1990.

Since then, the annual incidence of invasive disease in children younger than 5 years old has changed:

  • Type b: Decreased by 99%
  • Non-b: Increasing (primarily types a and f)
  • Nontypeable: Increasing

Explore the data

Use the figure below to see invasive H. influenzae disease incidence since 1989. These are projected national incidence estimates based on ABCs data. You can also view the data in table format by clicking on "Data Table" beneath the figure.

Use the figure below to see invasive H. influenzae disease incidence by serotype and age since 2019. These are projected national incidence estimates based on ABCs data. Hover over the bars in the figure to interact with the data. You can also view the data in table format by clicking on "Data Table" beneath the figure.

Data reporting

NNDSS

View NNDSS infectious disease data tables.

ABCs

View ABCs annual reports for H. influenzae disease.

Enhanced surveillance

View pediatric H. influenzae disease data, including case counts and incidence by serotype and age. Reports also include vaccination history of cases, H. influenzae related deaths, and details about syndrome and daycare attendance.

2023 final surveillance report

Data definitions

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) released the most recent case definition for H. influenzae disease in 2015.

Resources

H. influenzae type b chapter of the Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Division of Bacterial Diseases