Haemophilus aegyptius Ailyn Joy D. Adriano

1. Koch-weeks bacilli

2.  Disease:
◦ Acute contagious conjunctivitis
◦ Brazilian purpuric fever
 Normal flora of Human upper respiratory
tract
 Appearance : resembles H. influenzae except
colonies are smaller at 48hrs.

3. General Characteristics Virulence Factors
 Gram (-), pleomorphic
coccobacilli/ rods,
nonmotile, and
facultatively anaerobic.
 Capsule, adherence by
fimbriae & other
structures, and outer
membrane proteins &
LPS.

4. Clinical Infections
Lab Diagnosis: Specimen
Processing and Isolation
 Associated with an
acute, contagious
conjunctivitis ("pink
eye"), primarily in small
children, and Brazilian
Purpuric Fever.
 Common specimens:
◦ conjunctivae swabs.
Special media: CHOC agar
w/ 1% IsoVitaleX or Vitox
(required due to
fastidious nature).

5. Lab Diagnosis:
Microscopic Morphology
Lab Diagnosis:
Colony Morphology
 Varies from small,
gram (-) coccobacilli to
long filaments, and
often stains faint pink.
An acridine orange or
methylene blue stain
may help in detection
of Haemophilus spp.
 SBA, CHOC, and MAC are
often used (no growth on
SBA or MAC with pure
Haemophilus culture).
Aegyptius resembles H.
influenzae on CHOC with
a small, translucent,
tannish, moist, smooth,
and convex appearance,
accompanied by a
"mousy" or bleach-like
odor.

6. Lab Diagnosis:
Lab ID
Lab Diagnosis:
Lab ID
 X and V Requirements:
requires both X
(hemin) and V (NAD)
factors.
 Porphyrin Test: like H.
influenzae, H.
aegyptius is NEGATIVE
under UV-light in the
Porphyrin Test.

7. Lab Diagnosis: Lab ID
Biochemical Tests: (Same
as H. influenzae)
 Positive- Oxidase,
Catalase, Glucose,
Xylose, and Nitrate.
Negative- Hemolysis,
CO2 growth
enhancement, Indole,
ONPG, Sucrose,
Mannose, Mannitol,
Maltose, Lactose, and
Esculin.
Mode of Transmission
 Person to person
spread by
contaminated
resporatory droplets.
Certain infections
maybe caused by
persons endogenous
strains.

8. acute contagious
conjunctivitis
 a contagious inflammation of
the CONJUNCTIVA caused
by Haemophilus
aegypticus;secretions must
be handled with extreme care
to prevent its spread.
Popularly known as pinkeye.
 Signs and Symptoms
◦ Itchy eyes, Tearing, Redness,
Light sensitivity
 Treatment
◦ idoxuridine solution and
ointment, vidarabine ointment,
and trifluridine solution.
Describe Brazilian
purpuric fever (BPF)
 is a severe systemic
disease
caused by H. influenza
biogroup aegyptius
characterized by
recurrent or concurrent
conjunctivitis, high fever,
vomiting,
petechial/purpural rash,
septicemia, shock and
vascular collapse
mortality rate can be up
to 70% within 48 hours of
onset