Neonatal bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus

Sagano Onoyama1,2, Reina Ogata1,2, Akihito Wada3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University Hospital, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.

Insights

This case report details neonatal meningitis and bacteremia caused by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus. Accurate identification is crucial for understanding neonatal meningitis causes.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Neonatal infections pose significant risks to infant health.
  • Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies are known human pathogens.
  • Accurate bacterial identification is essential for effective treatment and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a case of neonatal meningitis and bacteremia caused by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus.
  • To highlight the importance of precise identification of this pathogen in neonates.
  • To discuss the potential misidentification of this species as Streptococcus bovis.

Main Methods:

  • Case report.
  • Bacterial culture and identification from blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Review of relevant literature.

Main Results:

  • Isolation of Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus from a neonate with meningitis and bacteremia.
  • Potential misclassification of the isolate as Streptococcus bovis or S. bovis biotype II by standard identification kits.
  • Successful treatment of the neonate.

Conclusions:

  • Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus can cause severe neonatal infections.
  • Accurate identification of this bacterium is critical and may require advanced methods beyond standard kits.
  • Misidentification can obscure the true etiological agent of neonatal meningitis, impacting clinical management.

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