The role of non-typable Haemophilus influenza in recurrent otitis media in children

Abstract Background When reaching their first birthday, kids in poor nations and about 62% of children in wealthier countries experience their initial occurrence of otitis media. The primary culprits for these bacterial ear infections in infants are the non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) strains, known for causing both acute and recurring episodes of otitis media. This study aimed to isolate and identify the non-typable Haemophilus influenzae isolates in children with recurrent otitis media and to evaluate the antibiotic sensitivity of the isolated Haemophilus influenzae strains. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 children (38 males and 22 females) who suffered from recurrent acute otitis media, ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years, and presented at the outpatient clinic between June 2022 and March 2023. Swabs were collected from ear discharge and examined using the Vitek system and PCR. Results Microbiological examination of ear swabs revealed that H. influenzae was the most commonly isolated species (38.3%), followed by S. pneumoniae (26.7%). The current study found that 82.6% of Haemophilus influenzae isolates were non-typeable, whereas only 17.4% were typeable based on PCR results. The results were considered highly significant (Hs) as the P value was