著者

吉岡 隆之 申 輝樹 郡山 仁志 石井 達也 春名 克祐 俣木 宏之

出版者

一般社団法人 日本感染症学会

雑誌

感染症学雑誌 (ISSN:03875911)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.96, no.3, pp.91-95, 2022-05-20 (Released:2022-05-20)

参考文献数

20

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We report a case of meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in a 37-year-old man. He presented with the chief complaint of severe headache and fever, and his body temperature at presentation was 39.6°C. He gave a history of frequently consuming cheese and dry-cured ham, and also a history of heavy drinking. He was found to have a fatty liver, but laboratory examination revealed serum AST and ALT levels within their respective normal ranges, with slight elevation of the serum γ-GTP level. Gram staining of the cerebrospinal fluid showed Gram-positive rods and the fluid showed growth of Listeria monocytogenes on culture. The patient received intravenous antibiotic treatment for about 3 weeks, with significant improvement. Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative anaerobic intracellular Gram-positive organism, is a rare, but emerging foodborne pathogen, especially in high-risk groups, such as immunosuppressed patients, pregnant women, infants, and elderly people. A few cases of listeriosis have also been reported in previously healthy persons, and in such cases, it is speculated that the size of the bacterial inoculum may overwhelm intact immunity, leading to severe systemic illness.The possible diagnosis of listeriosis should be borne in mind in patients presenting with relevant symptoms, not only in high-risk patients, as it has been so far, but also in relatively young people and patient groups without any conspicuous underlying diseases.