title: 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: STD National Reference Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina. sfiorito@anlis.gov.ar
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fiorito
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Galarza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sparo
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Oviedo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003234:Conjunctivitis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*