BACTEREMIC HEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE GENITOURINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN ADULTS

Six cases of bacteremia associated with genitourinary (GU) tract infections in adults due to H. influenzae occurred during a 42 mo. period at the Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg, Canada. Four cases were associated with pregnancy or abortion, 1 with acute salpingitis and 1 with urinary tract manipulation. Four of the 5 strains available for serotyping were nontypable. Clinical conjunctivitis was present in 1 patient and infants born to 2 other patients developed purulent conjunctivitis from which H. influenzae was grown. These 6 cases and others from the literature include a wide spectrum of GU tract infections due to this organism. With the rising incidence of severe infections in adults due to this organism and the widespread emergence of ampicillin-resistant strains, H. influenzae much be considered a GU tract pathogen.