Listeria Meningoencephalitis and Hydrocephalus Complicating Alemtuzumab Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis – The First Reported Case in North America

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen known to cause septicemia, meningitis, and rhombencephalitis. Immunosuppression is considered therapeutic when Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs) are used in the treatment of hematological malignancies, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders. This report describes a patient receiving one such biological agent, alemtuzumab, for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and the subsequent development of Listerial meningitis complicated by hydrocephalus. This is the first alemtuzumab-associated case of Listeria monocytogenes infection reported in North America and will hopefully spread awareness of this serious but treatable complication.

Characterization of the antimicrobial activity produced by Bacillus sp. isolated from wetland sediment

“…An Acad Bras Cienc (2021) 93(Suppl. 4) e20201820 11 | 13 of food and public health importance (Haggerty et al 2018, Gray et al 2018. Often introduced into the processing environment through raw foods, Listeria species can adhere to a variety of surfaces, with some strains persisting for several years and acting as a source of continuous crosscontamination (Colagiorgi et al 2017, Gray et al 2018.…”