{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T17:55:08Z","timestamp":1767635708848,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767571200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health with \u201cCurrent Research funds\u201d"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Edwardsiella tarda is a rare Gram-negative pathogen that uncommonly infects humans. Neonatal infections are extremely rare but often severe, with a high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) complications. Case presentation: We report a term neonate born via spontaneous vaginal delivery who developed systemic signs of infection within 18 h of life. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures grew Edwardsiella tarda. CSF analysis revealed severe meningoencephalitis. Maternal stool culture was also positive for E. tarda, suggesting vertical transmission. Despite initial systemic antibiotic therapy with ampicillin, gentamicin, and ceftriaxone, neuroimaging revealed progressive multifocal brain abscesses. The infant underwent a series of neurosurgical procedures, including bilateral drainage of abscesses, Rickham reservoir placement and ventriculoperitoneal shunting. A revised antibiotic regimen, including systemic meropenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole plus intrathecal gentamicin, was administered. At six months, the infant showed mild motor delay with lower limb hypertonia and was under close neurosurgical and developmental follow-up. Methods: We conducted a literature review of 12 published neonatal E. tarda infections, including our case. Results: Most infected infants presented within 72 h of life and exhibited CNS involvement. Mortality was 25%, and 44% of survivors experienced long-term neurologic sequelae. Conclusions: Edwardsiella tarda infection in neonates is rare but potentially devastating. Early suspicion, culture confirmation, aggressive antibiotic therapy, and multidisciplinary care, including neurosurgical management, are essential for improving outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics15010059","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T13:35:47Z","timestamp":1767620147000},"page":"59","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Rare Intruder: Neonatal Meningoencephalitis by Edwardsiella tarda Requiring Systemic and Intrathecal Antibiotics and Repeated Neurosurgery"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9076-9838","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Domenico Umberto","family":"De Rose","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3090-5949","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ludovica","family":"Martini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Campi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"Longo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional and Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5529-7575","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessia","family":"Guarnera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department, \u201cSant\u2019Andrea\u201d Hospital, \u201cSapienza\u201d University, 00189 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1206-9991","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Lucignani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional and Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0515-1401","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Conti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Child Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alessandra","family":"Santisi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carlotta Ginevra","family":"Nucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurosurgery Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giacomo","family":"Esposito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurosurgery Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4195-6626","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorenza","family":"Romani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Bernaschi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology Unit, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bianca Maria","family":"Goffredo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Metabolic Diseases and Drug Biology, \u201cBambino Ges\u00f9\u201d Children\u2019s Hospital IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gianfranco","family":"Scarpelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cSS. 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Hyg."}],"container-title":["Antibiotics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-6382\/15\/1\/59\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T14:05:19Z","timestamp":1767621919000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-6382\/15\/1\/59"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]}},"alternative-id":["antibiotics15010059"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/antibiotics15010059","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-6382"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-6382","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]]}}}