An alarm has been sounded in Europe due to the rapid increase in cases of a serious bacterial infection. This is an invasive disease caused by the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, which can lead to conditions ranging from pneumonia to meningitis and sepsis.
This infection is not new but has existed for some time; however, what is concerning is that six new strains have now been detected.
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“What’s new here isn’t the specific bacterium for which we have a vaccine administered in childhood, but rather some other subtypes of this bacterium.”
Petros Karagiannis – Professor of Molecular Virology
The infection “hits” infants and the elderly the hardest.
Vaccination
In Cyprus, the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine is part of the series of initial vaccines that children must receive, specifically starting at 6 weeks of age.
“Parents must ensure that their children are adequately vaccinated against all pathogens that affect children.”
Petros Karagiannis
Although there has been an increase in cases compared to previous years, the number of cases in Cyprus remains very low at this time.
“There is no cause for concern. We’re talking about a very small number of cases in Cyprus, and we hope that with proper monitoring, any cases will be diagnosed in a timely manner. And if someone is diagnosed with this specific infection, they can certainly take antibiotics and make a full recovery.”
Petros Karagiannis
According to the annual epidemiological report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the number of cases in Europe has increased by 85% over a 6-year period.
Watch Eleni Michael’s report:
