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Avila Elizabeth

 

Avila Elizabeth

Hospital Materno Infantil Dr Hector Quintana,
Argentina

Abstract Title: Early-Onset Streptococcus Agalactiae Meningitis: A Sentinel Event of Prenatal Screening Failure

Biography:

Avila Elizabeth has completed her Dr at the age of 25 years from Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Tucumán and postdoctoral studies in Neonatology from Hospital Nicolas Avellaneda -Argentina.She was the director of Hospital Materno Infantil Eva Peron Tucuman Argentina. She is a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Tucumán

Research Interest:

Early-Onset Streptococcus Agalactiae Meningitis: A Sentinel Event of Prenatal Screening Failure

Background:
Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) remains the leading cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS). While universal screening-based intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) has successfully reduced EOS incidence by over 80%, barriers to prenatal care continue to drive preventable morbidity. We present a case of GBS meningitis illustrating the severe consequences of missed prevention opportunities.

Case Presentation:
A term male newborn presented at 18 hours of life with fever, irritability, and feeding refusal. Maternal history was significant for inadequate prenatal control, with unknown GBS colonization status and no screening performed. Given the clinical signs of invasive bacterial infection, a complete sepsis workup, including a lumbar puncture, was performed prior to initiating empirical ampicillin and gentamicin. At 48 hours, both blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures yielded Streptococcus agalactiae, confirming EOS associated with meningitis. The patient showed favorable evolution following targeted antibiotic therapy.

Conclusion:
Meningitis affects 5–27% of neonates with GBS EOS. This case highlights the direct causality between the absence of maternal screening and severe invasive disease. Clinically, it validates the necessity of CSF analysis in symptomatic neonates to differentiate bacteremia from meningitis, which dictates treatment duration. Ultimately, the persistence of such cases underscores the urgent need for public health policies that guarantee equitable access to universal rectovaginal screening (35–37 weeks) and strict adherence to IAP protocols to eliminate these preventable outcomes.