Isolation and biochemical characterization of Haemophilus species isolated simultaneously from the oropharyngeal and anogenital areas

Abstract

Several reports have described the high frequency of pharyngeal isolation of Haemophilus species. Few studies have compared the simultaneous isolation rate of this species in the oropharyngeal and anogenital areas. Using two selective media, heart infusion agar (HIA) supplemented with 5% defibrinated rabbit blood, 1% IsoVitaleX, and either bacitracin alone (100 micrograms/ml) or bacitracin (5 micrograms/ml), vancomycin (3 micrograms/ml), and polymyxin B (1 microgram/ml), we isolated Haemophilus species in both areas in 89 of 399 (22.2%) patients consulting a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Of those, 56 were males and 33 were females. We recovered Haemophilus species in the oropharyngeal area in 384 patients (96%), while rectal and genital areas were colonized in 48 (12.0%) and 55 (13.8%) patients, respectively (both areas were colonized in 14 patients). Haemophilus parainfluenzae was isolated almost twice as often in the anogenital area as was H. influenzae. H. influenzae biotypes II and III and H. haemolyticus were the more prevalent XV-requiring haemophili isolated from the oropharynx, while H. influenzae biotype IV was more prevalent in the anogenital area. H. parainfluenzae biotypes I, II, and III were more prevalent in the oropharynx, while biotypes I and II were more prevalent in the anogenital area.