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Listeriosis in pregnancy: under-diagnosis despite over-treatment

Journal of Perinatology volume 38, pages 26–30 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective:

To compare the symptomatology of pregnant women with suspected listeriosis to culture confirmed listeriosis.

Study Design:

All cases of suspected and culture confirmed pregnancy-associated listeriosis from a single center were retrospectively reviewed assessing demographics, clinical, laboratory and pathological findings, and maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes.

Results:

Listeriosis was identified in seven patients, none of whom belonged to the 117 women with suspected listeriosis. Women with confirmed infection were more likely to exhibit fever (P=0.01), flu-like symptoms (P=0.006), threatened preterm labor (P=0.05) and inflammatory markers (P=0.02), but less likely to exhibit gastrointestinal complaints (P=0.004) in comparison with suspected non-confirmed cases. Confirmed cases resulted in preterm delivery (n=5) and stillbirth (n=2). Neonatal complications included meningitis, respiratory disease and sepsis. Maternal outcomes were favorable.

Conclusion:

Although ‘febrile gastroenteritis’ is a poor predictor of listeriosis in pregnancy, fever, premature contractions and inflammatory markers are important risk indices prompting workup and adequate empiric treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Y Fouks, A Many & S Shinar

  2. Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Y Fouks, A Many, A Haham, D Mandel & S Shinar

  3. The Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

    S Amit

  4. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Dana Dwek Children’s Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel

    A Haham & D Mandel

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  1. Y Fouks
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Correspondence to S Shinar.

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Fouks, Y., Amit, S., Many, A. et al. Listeriosis in pregnancy: under-diagnosis despite over-treatment. J Perinatol 38, 26–30 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2017.145

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2017.145

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