The other siblings: Respiratory infections caused by Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae

Abstract

Respiratory infections remain substantial causes of morbidity and mortality globally. In this paper, two substantial players in bacterial-associated respiratory disease are assessed as to their respective roles in children and adults and in the developed and developing world. Moraxella catarrhalis, although initially thought to be a nonpathogen, continues to emerge as a cause of upper respiratory disease in children and pneumonia in adults. No vaccine is currently available to prevent M. catarrhalis infection. Haemophilus influenzae type b, originally thought to be the cause of influenza, has now been limited epidemiologically in the developed world due to an effective immunization but it continues to be a major player in the developing world. Nonencapsulated strains of H. influenzae still remain as significant causes of respiratory infections in the developing world especially in exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease. Finally, and in brief, the spectrum of Brazilian purpuric fever due to a specific biotype of H. influenzae is discussed.

Vaccines for children and adults with chronic lung disease: efficacy against acute exacerbations

“…The major diseases caused by H. influenzae are childhood pneumonia, meningitis and bacteremia, which are caused primarily by Hib strains, and OM, sinusitis and acute exacerbations in children and adults with chronic lung diseases that are caused typically by NTHi strains [98][99][100]. However, in the last two decades invasive Hib disease has been virtually eliminated from countries that have included Hib protein conjugate vaccines into their national immunization schedules [98,101]. As NTHi is a frequent colonizer of the nasopharyngeal space and associated with exacerbations in chronic lung disease, henceforth we focus only on NTHi vaccines.…”

Multistep Resistance Development Studies of Ceftaroline in Gram-Positive and -Negative Bacteria

“…Most MRSA strains, especially those acquired in the hospital, are also quinolone resistant (2). In addition, ␤-lactamase-producing M. catarrhalis, macrolideresistant Streptococcus pyogenes, and Enterobacteriaceae (e.g., Klebsiella pneumoniae) that produce a number of different ␤-lactamases and also prevent drug entry through mutations in genes encoding the outer membrane protein family (porins) are becoming more common (5,27,42).…”