Listeria Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Child: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive bacillus that is an unusual cause of illness among immunocompetent individuals1. Infection with listeria is most commonly encountered in pregnancy, the neonatal period, and in immunocompromised patients2. Risk factors include food-borne exposures, particularly to soft cheeses and delicatessen meats, and life stock exposure3. Meningitis is the most frequently encountered clinical syndrome. L. monocytogenes accounts for 20% of cases of meningitis in neonates and in those >60 years and is the most common cause of meningitis among immunocompromised individuals1. Listeriosis is a rare disease in Ireland with a crude incidence rate of 0.41 per 100,000 which is lower than the EU average of 0.48 per 100,000 4.