A mother brings her lethargic, feverish baby into the emergency department.The baby is diagnosed with meningitis and the doctor does a spinal tap.The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram stain shows many tiny gram-negative rods.What is the most probable identification of this organism?

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Until recently, serotype b (H.influenzae) had been a common cause of pediatric meningitis in children between the ages of 3 months and 6 years.Bloodstream invasion and bacteremic spread follow colonization, invasion, and replication of this organism in the respiratory mucous membranes.Headache, stiff neck, and other meningeal signs are usually preceded by mild respiratory distress.

A Mother Brings Her Lethargic, Feverish Baby into the Emergency