Rifampin Prophylaxis
Prophylaxis with rifampin has been shown to reduce significantly the risk of secondary infection in household or day-care center contacts of cases of invasive meningococcal or Haemophilus influenzae B disease. Rifampin successfully eradicates nasopharyngeal carriage in approximately 90% of Neisseria meningitidis carriers and 95% of H influenzae B carriers.
H influenzae B causes systemic infection in one of every 200 children in the United States by 5 y of age. It continues to be the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States and causes other serious invasive illnesses, including epiglottitis, sepsis, cellulitis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, pericarditis, and pneumonia.
