Nosocomial meningitis of the newborn caused by a flavobacterium

GRAM-NEGATIVE as well as gram-positive bacteria may be agents of infection in a nursery for the newborn. A number of species of gram-negative bacteria are capable of multiplying at ordinary room temperature in aqueous environments devoid of organic carbon and nitrogen sources. These organisms have been termed "water bugs"¹and have been the cause of many documented epidemics of neonatal meningitis.^2-6 We report here two cases of meningitis in newborns caused by flavobacteria that were apparently transmitted via saline solution used to wash the infants' eyes at birth. Hydrocephalus developed in both patients, and one died, which illustrated the seriousness of the infection.

Report of Cases

Case 1.—

A boy was born at term on April 16, 1965, in a 50-bed rural hospital in the Philadelphia area. The pregnancy had been uneventful except for an episode of urinary tract infection during the sixth month, which was treated with