[Postnatal sepsis due to group A Streptococcus in a mother and her newborn]

Abstract

Nowadays, postnatal sepsis caused by group A Streptococcus (Str. pyogenes) is a rare condition. However, the mortality due to this uncommon disease is still high, and it has been described in the literature more frequently in the last few years. The authors present the case of a female newborn who died 15 hours after spontaneous delivery in the 40th week of gestation. Autopsy revealed a lung edema and solid lung parenchyma with normal findings of the other organs on macroscopic examination. Additional bacteriological testing detected Streptococcus pyogenes in the child. Aspiration pneumonia and signs of sepsis were discovered in the histological examination. Three days postpartum, the mother was hospitalized with Streptococcus pyogenes sepsis. Streptococcus pyogenes colonization of the mother's vaginal flora was assumed to be the origin of the infection. The problem in this case was the macromorphological diagnosis of sepsis and pneumonia in the newborn. The importance of microbiological analysis as a matter of routine is emphasized.