An unusual transmission of Neisseria meningitidis: neonatal conjunctivitis acquired at delivery from the mother's endocervical infection.
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.
Fiorito
S M
SM
STD National Reference Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Buenos Aires, Republica Argentina. sfiorito@anlis.gov.ar
Galarza
P G
PG
Sparo
M
M
Pagano
E I
EI
Oviedo
C I
CI
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*