NEONATAL meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis is relatively uncommon. Only one case in a nine-year period (1961-1970) was reported by Dr P. Wehrle at the University of Southern California. Similarly, the isolation of the meningococcus from the genitourinary tract has been rare until recently. Only 53 isolates were tabulated in a recent review by Faur et al.1 To our knowledge the association of N meningitidis neonatal meningitis with maternal cervicovaginal carriage has not been reported.
A case of fatal meningococcal meningitis in a 15-day-old infant born to a mother with culture-proven cervicovaginal N meningitidis is reported.
Report of a Case
A 2-week-old infant girl was admitted to Kaiser Foundation Hospital at 2 AM with a five-hour history of fussiness, mild respiratory distress, and fever. The child appeared well, although the temperature was 103.8. The neck was supple; lungs, clear; abdomen, soft; color, good; and no rash was noted. A