Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection

At a glance

Vaccine preventable – check who’s eligible
Vaccine included on the National Immunisation Program – check who’s eligible
Nationally notifiable disease

About Hib infection

Haemophilus influenzae bacteria normally lives in the nose and throat of healthy people.

Infection with a certain type of Haemophilus influenzae – type b – can cause serious disease, especially in certain groups.

The bacteria that cause Hib infection are not related to the influenza virus.

Why it matters to public health

Hib infections can develop quickly and may lead to invasive disease if not treated promptly. This is when the bacteria enter internal parts of the body where they are not usually found, such as the brain or lungs.

In some people, Hib infection can cause long-term health problems or even death.

Before Hib vaccines were added to the National Immunisation Program, Hib was a major cause of serious illness in Australian children. Because of vaccination, Hib infection is now rare in Australia.

Because of the seriousness of Hib, we:

monitor and report on Hib in Australia
plan for how to manage outbreaks.

Symptoms

If you’re looking for advice about your own health or treatment options, see healthdirect or speak with a qualified healthcare professional. Our role is to provide public health advice – information and guidance that helps prevent disease, protect communities and improve wellbeing at a population level.

Hib infection can cause serious illness. People can have a range of symptoms, depending on the part of the body that is infected.

Meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) symptoms can include:

fever
headache
neck stiffness
light sensitivity
nausea
vomiting
drowsiness, confusion or loss of consciousness

Epiglottitis (inflammation of the epiglottis) symptoms can include:

difficulty breathing
difficulty swallowing, sometimes with drooling
fever
pale skin colour.

Pneumonia (infection of the lungs) symptoms can include:

Hib can infect other parts of the body, including joint infections (septic arthritis) or skin infections (cellulitis).

healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a health professional.

Check your symptoms

Onset of symptoms

The time between getting infected and symptoms developing is uncertain, but is thought to be between 2 and 4 days.

How it spreads

Hib most often spreads to others from healthy people who carry the bacteria in their nose or throat.

People can get infected by:

breathing in contaminated respiratory droplets – released when someone talks, coughs or sneezes
direct contact with contaminated saliva or mucus from the nose or mouth.

Infectious period

People can infect others for as long as they are carrying Hib. This can be for many months if untreated.

People who are treated with antibiotics are usually no longer infectious after 2 to 3 days.

Prevention

Vaccination

Get vaccinated

Vaccination is the best way to protect against Hib infection.

Vaccination is recommended for:

babies and children as part of routine vaccination
people without a spleen or with a non-functioning spleen
people who have had a stem cell transplant.

Eligible people can get Hib vaccines for free under the National Immunisation Program or state or territory programs. If you are not eligible for a free vaccine, you can buy one from your health professional or pharmacy.

Priority groups and settings

Some people are at greater risk of getting Hib infection or getting very sick from it.

The risk of exposure to the bacteria and severe illness from infection might be greater for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is because of many factors, including barriers to culturally safe care.

People at greater risk should take steps to protect themselves.

People at greater risk of severe disease

Hib infection poses a greater risk of severe illness for:

unvaccinated children aged under 5 years
unvaccinated contacts of a person with Hib infection
people with certain chronic conditions, including those:
- who are living without a spleen or with a non-functioning spleen
- with some cancers, particularly when receiving chemotherapy.

People at greater risk of exposure

People may be at greater risk of being exposed to Hib infection if they:

live with or have other close contact with someone who has Hib
attend or work in early childhood education and care centres
live in close quarters with others, such as residential accommodation.

Diagnosis and treatment

Healthcare professionals can diagnose Hib infection through tests of samples that might include:

blood
sputum
a lumbar puncture (collection of spinal fluid).

Other tests might be needed, depending on a person’s symptoms.

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.

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Hib infection is treated with antibiotics. Other treatment depends on the type of Hib infection and the symptoms.

Read more about how to manage or treat Hib infection.

Surveillance and reporting

Hib infection is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report new laboratory confirmed cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

We also track data on Hib infection collected through the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Case Surveillance Scheme.

These are part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns.

We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.

Outbreaks

Outbreaks of Hib are rare, but they can occur in some settings.

Public health authorities might respond to outbreaks of Hib. Actions might include:

providing information about Hib infection and how to prevent it
advising people with Hib infection to stay away from school or childcare until antibiotic treatment is complete
in certain situations, offering antibiotics to people who have spent a lot of time around a person with Hib infection.

Read more about how the Australian Government defines and plans for outbreaks.

Support

For information about Hib infection in your state or territory, see:

If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.