Neonatal listeriosis in Taiwan, 1990-2007.
OBJECTIVE
Listeria monocytogenes is an important pathogen in neonates in Western countries, with a fatality rate of 20-30%. There is limited information on neonatal listeriosis in Eastern countries. The purpose of this study was to delineate the occurrence and clinical picture of neonatal listeriosis in Taiwan.


METHODS
A questionnaire-based survey of all of the 17 medical centers in Taiwan was performed, and a literature review of neonatal listeriosis as reported in Taiwan from 1990 to 2007 was made.


RESULTS
A total of 14 cases (10 male, four female) of neonatal listeriosis were identified, including 11 found from the survey of four medical centers and another three collected from the literature review. Three were found to have occurred prior to 2000 and 11 were found to have occurred after 2000. The age of onset was less than 3 days in all cases. L. monocytogenes was identified from blood in 13, cerebrospinal fluid in four, and gastric aspirate in two. Half of the cases (7/14) had involvement of the central nervous system with pleocytosis and hypoglycorrhachia in cerebrospinal fluid, and three of them even developed hydrocephalus. The mortality rate was 29%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that listeriosis may emerge as an important health threat among newborn infants in Taiwan.
Hsieh
Wu-Shiun
WS
Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Tsai
Li-Yi
LY
Jeng
Suh-Fang
SF
Hsu
Chyong-Hsin
CH
Lin
Hong-Chih
HC
Hsueh
Po-Ren
PR
Chen
Chien-Yi
CY
Chou
Hung-Chieh
HC
Tsao
Po-Nien
PN
Yang
Peng-Hong
PH