Infection in newborn siblings

P. H. Azimi and H. G. Cramblett

Two newborn siblings, one with meningitis and one with sepsis due to Listeria monocytogenes, were born to a healthy, 33-year-old woman. She had had a spontaneous abortion prior to the birth of these infants. In spite of negative cultures, persistence of this bacterium in the mother's genital tract and perinatal acquisition of infection is suspected.