Clinical manifestations of epidemic neonatal listeriosis

We report the broad spectrum of clinical manifestations in 23 infants with positive cultures for Listeria monocytogenes who were treated in our hospital during a recent epidemic. The majority of infants (70%) were preterm and none was small for gestational age. Thirteen (56%) had respiratory distress at birth with evidence of congenital pneumonia. Four of the 5 deaths occurred among these infants. Four infants considered healthy after resuscitation developed fever and lethargy within 36 hours after birth. Only one of these infants had evidence of pneumonia. We conclude that congenital pneumonia with respiratory distress at birth is the major cause of mortality and morbidity from L. monocytogenes infection in the neonate.