FATAL SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS SEPSIS ACQUIRED PRENATALLY IN A PREMATURE-INFANT

Background: Before the advent of antibiotic therapy, Salmonella typhi infection during pregnancy was associated with a high incidence of fet al and neonatal death. Little information is available about the risk to the fetus or the newborn of a pregnant woman infected by non-typhoi d salmonella, and treatment recommendations do not exist. Case: We rep ort a case of transplacental infection of a fetus by non-typhoid salmo nella in a woman with gastroenteritis. Salmonella enteritidis was cult ured from stool of the pregnant woman, who had diarrhea and fever befo re cesarean was performed at 29 weeks' gestation. The premature girl d ied 4 hours after birth from septic shock. Salmonella enteritidis was cultured from blood cultures and swabs of the premature infant and fro m the placenta and uterus. Conclusion: This observation argues in favo r of antibiotic treatment for non-typhoid salmonella infection in preg nancy because of the risk of transplacental infection of the fetus.