{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,4]],"date-time":"2026-11-04T17:41:19Z","timestamp":1793814079673,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770940800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health with the Current Research funds"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Listeria monocytogenes infection during pregnancy remains an underrecognized cause of severe neonatal disease, frequently leading to central nervous system (CNS) involvement with high mortality and long-term neurological sequelae. Case presentation: We report a case series of four neonates with confirmed neonatal listeriosis and neurological complications, managed in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Clinical features, microbiological findings, neuroimaging, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. Our cases presented with early-onset disease and severe clinical courses, including sepsis, meningitis, ventriculitis, hydrocephalus, and seizures. Neuroimaging revealed extensive CNS injury, ranging from intraventricular hemorrhage to multiloculated hydrocephalus. Outcomes varied from near-normal neurodevelopment to profound neurological impairment, despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. A narrative review of previous cases of neonatal listeriosis was also performed to contextualize our findings. Conclusions: Neonatal listeriosis remains associated with severe neurological morbidity. Early recognition, advanced neuroimaging, multidisciplinary management, and preventive maternal strategies are essential to improve outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics15020206","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T10:52:21Z","timestamp":1770979941000},"page":"206","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Neonatal Listeriosis with Central Nervous System Involvement: A Case Series and Review of the Literature"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4265-0939","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chiara","family":"Maddaloni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3090-5949","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ludovica","family":"Martini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9076-9838","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Domenico Umberto","family":"De Rose","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"Longo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional and Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessia","family":"Guarnera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Functional and Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Medicine Interdipartimental Faculty, Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department Sant\u2019Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University, Via di Grottarossa, 1035\u20131039, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9820-6557","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cinzia","family":"Auriti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Interdipartimental Faculty, Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Campi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Paola","family":"Ronchetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1260-6427","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Dotta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bambino Ges\u00f9 Children\u2019s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jeffs, E., Williman, J., Brunton, C., Gullam, J., and Walls, T. 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