An unusual transmission of Neisseria meningitidis : neonatal conjunctivitis acquired at delivery from the mother's endocervical infection

Abstract

BACKGROUND Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis is assumed to be due to the direct inoculation of Neisseria meningitidis into the conjunctival sac from an exogenous source. According to a literature review, no case of neonatal conjunctivitis infection acquired at delivery from maternal endocervicitis has been published. GOAL To report a case of meningococcal neonatal conjunctivitis acquired at delivery because of the mother's endocervical infection and cross-transmission of the strain with her partner. STUDY DESIGN Strains were characterized by bacteriologic and serologic methods including grouping (agglutination), typing, and subtyping (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay). Molecular analysis was done by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS The three strains (newborn infant, mother, partner) were of the same antigenic formula (C:NT:P1.NT) and exhibited similar NheI and SpeI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. CONCLUSION The identical phenotypic and genomic analysis of strains is the evidence for N meningitidis transmission at delivery from a maternal endocervical infection to the newborn infant and cross transmission between sexual partners.