Listeriosis in pregnancy – case report

Abstract

Listeriosis is a rather rare infectious disease but its incidence in pregnancy is over 20 times higher than in the general population. Pregnant women with listeriosis comprise one-third of all listeriosis cases. Listeriosis is a foodborne disease. Sporadic as well as epidemic cases of listeriosis are usually related to contaminated processed food, especially meat dishes served in fast-food restaurants and dairy products. Pregnant women are at an increased risk for listeriosis infection. Unfortunately, the symptoms are not specific and the diagnosis presents a considerable challenge. Although the literature offers some case reports on a complicated course of listeriosis during pregnancy, the infection usually runs a mild course in pregnant women. Regardless, fetal or neonatal infection is related to very high risk of lethal complications in the newborn, among others: sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia. In this paper we present a case of a 28-year-old gravida with listeriosis. We described the course of the infection, diagnostic process and treatment in both, the mother and the newborn.