Hemophilus influenzae Type b Disease

Abstract

Day-care centers are a relatively new phenomena of American society that bring together large numbers of young children susceptible to contagious disease. This study examines the incidence and risk factors of endemicHemophilus influenzaetype b disease both in the general population and in day-care attendees in Monroe County, New York, for 1982 and 1983. The attack rate in the general population (excluding day-care attendees) was highest in children younger than 1 year (131.9 cases per 100,000 per year) and in those 1 to 2 years old (75.7 cases per 100,000 per year) compared with older children. The relative risk for day-care attendees was much greater than that of the general population. It was 12.3 times greater for children younger than 1 year, 7.2 times greater for those 1 to 2 years old, and 3.8 times greater for those 2 to 3 years old. We conclude that children attending day-care facilities face a substantial increased risk of contracting invasiveH influenzaetype b disease. Efforts to prevent susceptibility and contagious spread of this disease in this population seem necessary. (JAMA1984;252:2581-2584)