Fatal Salmonella enteritidis sepsis acquired prenatally in a premature infant

Before the advent of antibiotic therapy, Salmonella typhi infection during pregnancy was associated with a high incidence of fetal and neonatal death. Little information is available about the risk to the fetus or the newborn of a pregnant woman infected by non-typhoid salmonella, and treatment recommendations do not exist.

We report a case of transplacental infection of a fetus by non-typhoid salmonella in a woman with gastroenteritis. Salmonella enteritidis was cultured from stool of the pregnant woman, who had diarrhea and fever before cesarean was performed at 29 weeks' gestation. The premature girl died 4 hours after birth from septic shock. Salmonella enteritidis was cultured from blood cultures and swabs of the premature infant and from the placenta and uterus.

This observation argues in favor of antibiotic treatment for non-typhoid salmonella infection in pregnancy because of the risk of transplacental infection of the fetus.