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 probably 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 Department