Use of molecular analysis in pathophysiological investigation of late-onset neonatal Escherichia coli meningitis.

We describe one case of late-onset neonatal Escherichia coli meningitis associated with urinary tract infection. Two genotypic methods revealed that the E. coli isolates obtained from blood, feces, and cerebrospinal fluid shared the same pattern, which was different from the unique pattern obtained for the isolates recovered from the urine and the tracheal aspirate. Our study supports passage of bacteria through the gastrointestinal mucosa to the bloodstream as the initial event, with subsequent meningeal localization.