Pathogens Associated With Sepsis in Newborns and Young Infants in Developing Countries

Abstract

Limited information is available on etiology of serious bacterial infections in community settings. Hospital-based studies suggest that most infections in the first week of life are due to Gram-negative pathogens, and many may be environmentally rather than maternally-acquired, owing to unhygienic delivery practices. Such practices may also explain the predominance of Gram-negative infections among home-born infants, although data from home settings are limited. These findings have implications for developing prevention and management strategies in communities and hospitals.

Azithromycin in Labor Lowers Clinical Infections in Mothers and Newborns: A Double-Blind Trial

“…In addition, given that sepsis in SSA is caused by several bacterial species, any preventive measure should cover a wider spectrum of bacteria. 2,3,5 Maternal infections, which include puerperal sepsis, mastitis, and other infections occurring during the postpartum period, remain an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. 6 Although reliable population-based estimates of maternal sepsis in SSA are not available, a recent World Health Organization (WHO) systematic review showed that >1 out of 9 maternal deaths reported worldwide are due to puerperal sepsis.…”

Systems for Pediatric Sepsis: A Global Survey

“…Limited epidemiological data from developing countries show higher rates of certain pathogens, such as nontyphoidal Salmonella (27). We hypothesize that the epidemiologic similarities suggested in our study may reflect limitations in laboratory resources, with the responsible infectious agent in many cases either assumed or unknown.…”

Neonatal meningitis according to the microbiological diagnosis: a decade of experience in a tertiary center

“…In developed countries, it has been reported that 30 to 40% of meningitis cases are Gram-negative, and that E. coli is the most frequent bacterium 1,2 . In developing countries, Gram-negative meningitis is more frequent 4,14 . The predominance of Gram-negative bacteria in the present study reflected the bacteriological pattern in the NICU in the late 1990s and early 2000s 13 .…”

“…Staphylococci predominated among the Gram-positive agents and they are currently the main agents causing late-onset sepsis 4,14 . A multicenter study involving 134 very low birth weight premature infants with confirmed meningitis showed that Gram-positive agents were responsible for 63% of the episodes, with occurrences of coagulase-negative staphylococci in 29% of the cases.…”