diseases caused
Last reviewed 01/2018
In the mother, it may be associated with urinary tract infection during pregnancy, septic abortion, and post-partum endometritis.
In the neonate, two different circumstances are recognised, although there is considerable overlap:
- early disease - within 5 days delivery - presenting with septicaemia and pneumonia. It is due to materno-foetal transmission and 60% of the mothers have endometritis or septicaemia. Neonatal mortality is high - about 55%.
- late disease - at least 5 days after delivery - presenting with meningitis - 23% fatality. It is associated with cross-infection between babies. The mother is unaffected.