Listeriosis in the third trimester of pregnancy: the course of the disease and outcomes for the mother and fetus

Abstract

Listeriosis mainly affects immunocompromised people, including pregnant women. Listeriosis is 17 times more common in pregnancy than in the population and lead to severe complications for the fetus or newborn. In Russia 644 cases of listeriosis were registered from 2005 to 2017. Every case of listeriosis in pregnant women requires a special analysis. This will increase the alertness of doctors and their awareness of the features of this disease and its treatment in pregnant women. Aims – to study the features of listeriosis in the third trimester of pregnancy, the outcomes of the disease for the pregnant woman and the fetus. Materials and methods. We studied 4 cases of listeriosis in the third trimester of pregnancy, identified in the Clinical Infectious Hospital named after S.P. Botkin in the period from 2020 to 2021. Results. All patients were admitted to the hospital in the third trimester of pregnancy with suspected acute respiratory viral infection, from 1 to 4 days after the onset of the disease. The leading symptom was fever. Leukocytosis was in a clinical blood test, and the value of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were increased. L. monocytogenes was identified after childbirth during bacteriological examination of mothers and newborns. All the women gave birth during the first day after admission to the hospital. Two women had vaginal deliveries, and two women delivered by cesarean section. All children were born alive, but they all were transferred to the children’s hospital for additional treatment. Finally, one child died, and the other three recovered. Conclusions. Listeriosis of pregnant women is a severe infectious disease that leads to perinatal losses. The search for laboratory techniques that could be widely and routinely used in pregnant women with fever for early identification of L. monocytogenes is relevant. Early identification of this pathogen will make it possible to reasonably choose antibiotics and their dosages, improve prognoses for mother and child.