Neisseria meningitidis: The Unforeseen Agent of Acute Neonatal Conjunctivitis

TL;DR

A 14-day-old infant developed conjunctivitis caused by a rare coinfection of Neisseria meningitidis and Staphylococcus aureus, highlighting the importance of proper diagnosis.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare coinfection causing neonatal conjunctivitis and emphasizes the importance of ocular exudate culture for accurate diagnosis.

Findings

A neonate presented with conjunctivitis caused by N. meningitidis and S. aureus.

Ocular exudate culture was essential for identifying the causative agents.

The infant recovered fully with appropriate antibiotic treatment.

Abstract

Acute conjunctivitis is a common disease in the neonatal period. Although often underestimated, Neisseria meningitidis is an uncommon but potentially severe cause of acute neonatal conjunctivitis. We describe a case of a 14-day-old healthy female newborn who presented with fever, runny nose, cough, and bilateral purulent ocular discharge. A nasopharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and the infant was discharged after becoming afebrile 24 hours later. Four days later, ocular exudate culture revealed the presence of N. meningitidis and Staphylococcus aureus. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests were unremarkable. The infant was treated with intravenous cefotaxime and topical azithromycin, with no signs of invasive disease or reported complications. This case highlights noninvasive neonatal acute conjunctivitis caused by a coinfection of N. meningitidis and S. aureus, with a favorable outcome. The ocular exudate culture was crucial in identifying the causative bacteria, which might otherwise have gone undetected and improperly treated. Clinicians should consider N. meningitidis as a potential agent in neonatal acute conjunctivitis.