Molecular evidence suggestive of intrauterine transmission of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A from mother to infant

This case report describes an early presentation (<6 hours) of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in a neonate born to a mother who was a carrier of the bacterium (nasopharynx, intracervical and whole blood). The neonate succumbed to the infection. N. meningitidis was recovered from cerebrospinal fluid. The isolates of the mother and infant were proven identical by multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis. The early presentation and presence of circulating DNA of the organism suggested an intrauterine transfer of the disease.