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Neonatal meningitis caused by Bifidobacterium breve
T Nakazawa1, K Kaneko, H Takahashi
1Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Juntendo Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Brain & Development
|March 1, 1996
Summary
This report details a rare case of neonatal meningitis caused by Bifidobacterium breve. Despite effective antibiotics, relapses occurred, highlighting challenges in treating anaerobic meningitis.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Anaerobic meningitis is exceptionally rare in neonates.
- Bifidobacterium breve is an uncommon cause of neonatal meningitis.
Observation:
- A male neonate presented with meningitis attributed to Bifidobacterium breve.
- The patient exhibited a mild clinical course with weak inflammatory markers.
- Two relapses of meningitis occurred despite appropriate antibiotic therapy.
Findings:
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed in vitro and in vivo effectiveness.
- Relapses may be linked to poor antibiotic penetration across the blood-brain barrier in mild meningitis.
- Discrepancies between minimum bactericidal (MBC) and minimum inhibitory (MIC) concentrations might have contributed.
Implications:
- Anaerobic meningitis may be underdiagnosed.
- Consider anaerobic cultures in neonates with culture-negative purulent meningitis.
- Further research is needed on antibiotic efficacy and blood-brain barrier penetration in neonatal meningitis.