J Korean Med Sci.  2006 Apr;21(2):347-350. 10.3346/jkms.2006.21.2.347.

Outbreak of Late-onset Group B Streptococcal Infections in Healthy Newborn Infants after Discharge from a Maternity Hospital: A Case Report

• Kim HJ
• Kim SY
• Seo WH
• Choi BM
• Yoo Y
• Lee KH
• Eun BL
• Kim HJ

• KMID: 1781848
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2006.21.2.347

Abstract

During a four-week period, four healthy term newborn infants born at a regional maternity hospital in Korea developed late-onset neonatal group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections, after being discharged from the same nursery. More than 10 days after their discharge, all of the infants developed fever, lethargy, and poor feeding behavior, and were subsequently admitted to the Korea University Medical Center, Ansan Hospital. GBS was isolated from the blood cultures of three babies; furthermore, GBS was isolated from 2 cerebral spinal fluid cultures. Three babies had meningitis, and GBS was isolated from their cerebral spinal fluid cultures. This outbreak was believed to reflect delayed infection after early colonization, originating from nosocomial sources within the hospital environment. This report underlines the necessity for Korean obstetricians and pediatricians to be aware of the risk of nosocomial transmissions of GBS infection in the delivery room and/or the nursery.

Keyword

Disease Outbreaks; Nosocomial infection; Cross Infection; Nurseries; Streptococcus agalactiae; Sepsis; Meningitis; Infant, Newborn

MeSH Terms

Time Factors
*Streptococcus agalactiae/isolation & purification
Streptococcal Infections/*epidemiology/microbiology/transmission
Pregnancy
Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology/microbiology/transmission
Male
Korea/epidemiology
Infant, Newborn
Humans
Hospitals, Maternity
Female
*Disease Outbreaks
Cross Infection/*epidemiology/microbiology/transmission

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Time courses of outbreak between nursery stay and hospital admission. Black arrows indicate the onset of symptoms at home.

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