[Listeriosis in newborn infants]

Listeriosis of the newborn is a relatively rare disease, presenting with clinical signs of septicemia. Early onset disease, resembling group B streptococcal septicemia, is already transmitted from the mother to the fetus and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Late onset septicemia occurs as sporadic or as epidemic disease, usually beyond the fifth day of life. Epidemics can be caused by consumption of contaminated food or by nosocomial infections in neonatal units. Phage typing offers an opportunity to elucidate the route of transmission. During a 7 years period, 5 neonates ware diagnosed to have early onset, 1 newborn to have late onset Listeriosis. They all showed signs of bacterial septicemia with typical changes of white blood cell count, elevated CRP, hepatomegaly, and severe pneumonia. In all patients Listeria monocytogenes could be isolated from blood cultures. Serological tests were negative in all cases. 3 patients died. Nosocomial transmission of Listeria monocytogenes from one infant to another was proven by phage typing.