Non-perinatal listeriosis: Changes in frequency, clinical spectrum and prognostic factors

Listeria monocytogenes infection is a severe disease affecting mainly aged people and patients with immune depression. The incidence of listeriosis seems to be increasing. In the present study cases of listeriosis from two hospitals are analyzed with the aims of studying changes in its incidence, clinical forms of presentation and possible factors associated with mortality.

Retrospective multicentric study of patients with culture-proven listeriosis in two university hospitals in Madrid between 1977 and 2021. Epidemiological and clinical variables, as well as factors for immune depression, complementary studies and treatments were registered. Factors associated with mortality were analyzed.

A total of 194 cases of listeriosis were analyzed. The incidence of listeriosis among in-patients increased through the study period, with a significant drop in the number of cases in 2020. The most common clinical presentations were isolated bacteriemia (37.1%) and central nervous system involvement (CNS) (36.6%). Symptoms of gastroenteritis occurred in 21% of cases. Other focal infections were present in 16.5% of patients, the most frequent were spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (8.2%), cholecystitis (2.1%), respiratory infection (1.5%) and vascular prothesis infection (1.5%). In-hospital mortality was 24.7%. Independent factors associated with mortality at admission were age (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.027, 95% confidence interval [IC95%] 1.003-1.056) and a diagnosis of a solid tumor (OR 3.525, IC95% 1.652-7.524).

This study confirms an increasing incidence of listeriosis in our millieu. The most common clinical presentations were isolated bacteriemia and central nervous system involvement. In-hospital mortality was associated with age and the diagnosis of a solid tumor.