Elizabethkingia meningoseptica: Changing anti microbial resistance causing fatal community-acquired neonatal meningitis – An area of rising concern

Abstract

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is often reported as a hospital-acquired infection. We present an unusual fatal case of community-acquired meningitis probably secondary to contamination of the breast pump and feeding bottle used at home. Despite being a Gram-negative bacillus, it is extremely sensitive to antibiotics used to treat Gram-positive infections. There is a lack of protocolized effective treatment regimens and the organism demonstrates in vitro resistance to many antibiotics but a changing pattern of resistance as seen in our case is not reported till date. E. meningoseptica is an emerging potential source of neonatal infection and is an upcoming public health problem.