Listeriosis in Neonates - A Microbiological Study

About the important lore of Listeria monocytogenes as an etiological agent of 3 cases of neonatal infection in Varna City during the period 2002-2003. The etiological diagnosis is based on detection the microorganism in blood cultures, nasopharyngeal and other secretions, obtained from newborns. L. monocytogenes is isolated and identified by the conventional methods. Some microbiological laboratorial aspects are reported. Listeria monocytogenes is one of the six species of genus Listeria. It is a human pathogen of high public health concern. Diseases, caused by this microorganism affect some groups of patients, who are especially ssusceptible - elderly patients, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women and neonates. L. monocytogenes often causes an influenza - like illnes that, if untreatened may lead to infection of the fetus, resulting in abortion, stillbirth or premature birth, because it is able to cross the placenta. Neonatal infection is divided into early (less than 2 days old), intermediate (305 days old) and late (more than 5 days old) onset disease. Early neonatal listeriosis is predominantly a septicaemic illnes, contracted in utero. In contrast, late onset disease represents a spectrum of mild to severe infection, which can be correlated with the microbiological findings. The main sites of isolation are blood, superficial sites and amniotic fluid, less commonly gastric aspirate, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and high vaginal swabs. The main site of isolation of L. monocytogenes for the late onset disease os CSF commonly and rarely blood.