Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics of clinical Haemophilus influenzae (Hin) isolates from adults and children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) so as to provide theoretical bases for effective prevention and treatment of Hin infection.
METHODS The patients who were hospitalized in respiratory and critical care medicine department and pediatrics department of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Hospital due to CAP from Jan. 2023 to Dec. 2024 were enrolled in the study, and the positive rates of Hin in sputum specimens were statistically analyzed. The clinical distribution and results of drug susceptibility testing for Hin strains were observed and compared between the adults with CAP and the children with CAP. The capsular types, drug resistance genes and multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) subtypes were detected for 72 strains of Hin.
RESULTS The positive rate of Hin was higher among the children with CAP (9.46%) than among the adults with CAP (2.71%). The Hin was more prevalent among the children with CAP than among the adults, it was highly prevalent in autumn and winter, with the population dominated by the children aged between 13 and 17 years old (12.67%). The positive rate of β-lactamase-producing Hin strains was 74.71% among the adult patients and 90.17% among the children, respectively; the drug resistance rates to ampicillin were highest (73.86% and 92.57%), the drug resistance rates of the strains isolated from the children to the two types of β-lactams were higher than those of the strains isolated from the adults (P < 0.05). The non-typeable Hin strains (94.45%) were the predominant type among the 72 strains of Hin, the production of β-lactamase mediated by blaTEM-1 was the major drug resistance mechanism. The result of MLST showed that CC155 (ST-155), CC11 (ST-103) and CC107 (ST-1002) were the main subtypes.
CONCLUSIONS The β-lactamase-producing non-typeable Hin strains are dominant among the Hin strains isolated from the adults and children with CAP in this area. The isolation rate of the strains is high among the children than among the adults. The strains are highly prevalent in autumn and winter, and ST-155 is the predominant clone type. The strains are highly resistant to ampicillin, which should be attached great importance to.