Korean Journal of Perinatology  2008;19(4):388-392

Listeriosis in baby and mother confirmed with blood and amniotic fluid cultures.

Seung Hyeon LEE 1 ; Dong Woo SON ; So Yeon SHIM ; Yiel Hea SEO ; Suk Young KIM

Affiliations

+expand

Keywords

Listeria infection; Pregnancy; Culture; Prematurity

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Neonatal listeriosis is not uncommon in Western developed countries, and has significant mortality and morbidity. However, its incidence in Asian countries is relatively low and it has rarely been reported in Korea. Once infected, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) can have high mortality and listeriosis in pregnancy may present serious hazards to the fetus and the newborn as sepsis and death through direct infection of the placenta and chorioamnionitis. Because early detection of L. monocytogenes infection is difficult, only high index of suspicion toward this disease can hopefully prompt treatment of this life-threatening perinatal infection. We experienced a case of L. monocytogenes yielded in cultures of blood and amniotic fluid of the newborn and the mother who delivered at 25+1 weeks of gestation because of preterm labor that developed without any specific evidence of infection. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.