title: Poor perinatal outcome associated with maternal Brucella abortus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reports suggest that perinatal infection with Brucella abortus does not cause poor obstetric outcomes, because of protective mechanisms in the human, not seen in animal species.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of maternal brucellosis resulting in preterm labor, chorioamnionitis, placental abruption, and delivery of a live-born infant at 25 weeks' gestational age. Both maternal blood cultures and amniotic fluid cultures were positive for B abortus species, and delivery occurred despite aggressive antibiotic and tocolytic therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal infection with B abortus during pregnancy can lead to significant perinatal morbidity, casting doubt on reports that human pregnancy is resistant to such infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Material-Fetal Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. fergal.malone@es.nemc.org
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Athanassiou
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nores
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dalton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002003:Brucella abortus; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome