Presentation and outcomes of listeria-affected pregnancies in Johannesburg Tertiary Hospitals: a 2 year review

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to describe maternal risk factors, presentations, peripartum findings and pregnancy outcomes in listeria infected pregnant women.

Methods A cross-sectional retrospective descriptive study was performed and the records of 51 pregnant women infected with listeriosis that had delivered between 01/02/2016 and 28/02/2018 at three tertiary care hospitals in Johannesburg, South Africa were assessed. The diagnosis of listeriosis was made on maternal/neonatal sampled blood or tissue cultures.

Results Forty-eight (82.3%) listeria infections of maternal and neonatal listeriosis were diagnosed on blood culture. The median gestational age at diagnosis was at a preterm gestation of 33 (20 -43) weeks. Twenty-eight women (54.9%) had normal vaginal deliveries. Precipitous labour was described in 18 (39%) of these women. Fetal distress was the indication for caesarean section in 22 (41.2%) women. Meconium-stained liquor was found in 21 (61.7%) women at the time of delivery. The category of very low birth weight had 14 (27.4%) neonates with an Apgar score of <7 at 5 minutes. Maternal morbidities included chorioamnionitis (5.8%) and puerperal infections (13.7%).

Conclusion Symptoms for listeriosis were non-specific and diagnosis was detected on blood culture sampling. Risk factors for listeriosis included HIV seropositivity and were found to be associated with puerperal infections.