Recent epidemiology of neonatal sepsis in Japan: did the strategies to control and prevent MRSA transmission lead to a reduction in the incidence of late-onset sepsis?

Abstract

Neonatal sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns, particularly in the preterm or low birth weight infant. In this epidemiologic review regarding neonatal sepsis, the recent epidemiology and causative pathogens in Japan are described and compared with data from international organizations. Recent Japanese multicenter studies report the incidence of neonatal sepsis at 0.74%. Although the incidence of early-onset sepsis has been low (0.13%), approximately 5% of very or extremely low birth weight infants develop late-onset sepsis with a high mortality rate. In Japan for such cases, the most predominant causative patho- gen is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; internationally, the most commonly reported pathogen is coagulase-negative staphylococci. It is our contention that the incorporation of the strategies to control and to prevent health care-associated MRSA transmission has contributed to the reduction in the incidence of late-onset sepsis.