Cluster familiare di infezione da Listeria monocytogenes

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterium; it is transmitted to humans through the ingestion of contaminated food. Patients are typically immunosuppressed individuals, pregnant women, newborns and elderly people. In the rare cases of sepsis and meningitis caused by Listeria in immunocompetent paediatric patients, the infection can cause serious complications. Listeria does not respond to first-line empirical treatment with cephalosporins; it is therefore necessary to identify the pathogen to allow a target treatment and to have a favourable prognosis. The paper presents a case of L. monocytogenes sepsis and convulsions in an immunocompetent 16-month-old child, whose source of infection was a fresh goat cheese that infected other members of her family. Given the increase in the consumption of ready-to-eat foods stored in the refrigerator in industrialized countries, it is important to keep in mind the presence of L. monocytogenes as a possible cause of sepsis and meningitis also in immunocompetent individuals.