January/February 2000, Volume 20, Issue 1, Pages 54 - 56

International Perspective

Fatal Neonatal Salmonella enteritidis Sepsis Wolfgang Pumberger, MD1 & Wolfgang Novak, MD2 1Division of Pediatric Surgery (W. P.), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;      2Department of Pediatrics (W. N.), Donauspital - Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Ost, Vienna, Austria.     Correspondence to: Wolfgang Pumberger, MD, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.

Abstract

A case history of a fatal neonatal infection caused by Salmonella enteritidis group D is reported. The baby deteriorated rapidly at 24 hours after birth with clinical signs and symptoms of an acute abdomen. Bloody diarrhea led to a tentative diagnosis of midgut volvulus or necrotizing enterocolitis. Autopsy and bacteriologic investigation revealed sepsis by S. enteritidis group D. The same organism was found in cultures taken from stool and vaginal swabs from the mother. This clearly confirmed transmission of the infection during delivery.

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