Infectious causes of epiglottitis (supraglottitis)

Bacterial causes

Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)

H. influenzae types A and F, and nontypeable strains

Haemophilus parinfluenzae

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin susceptible and methicillin resistant)

Beta-hemolytic streptococci: Groups A, B, C, F, G

Pasteurella multocida

Moraxella catarrhalis

Klebsiella pneumoniae

Neisseria meningitidis and other Neisseria species

Escherichia coli

Enterobacter cloacae

Pseudomonas aeruginosa*

Viral causes^¶

Herpes simplex virus type 1

Varicella zoster virus

Parainfluenza virus type 3

Influenza B viruses

Epstein-Barr virus

SARS-CoV-2

HIV

Fungal causes

Candida albicans*

SARS-CoV-2: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus.

* Candidal and pseudomonal epiglottitis usually occur in immunocompromised patients.

¶ Epiglottitis may result from bacterial superinfection.

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