Background: Most cases of neonatal Group B streptococcus (GBS) infections are of early onset and the risk factors and preventive measures are well defined. Late onset disease is rarer, risk factors are less well known and no preventive measures can be recommended.
Case report: Late onset GBS meningitis developed in a neonate without maternal colonisation. There was no bacteriological evidence of early neonatal colonisation or infection. The neonate had also received antibiotics
in the first few days of life.
Conclusions: Absence of maternal or perinatal risk factors should not preclude GBS when prescribing antibiotic therapy in late onset neonatal sepsis, even if prior antibiotics had been administered. The chosen antibiotic treatment should always be adequate to treat a systemic infection with GBS.

Keywords: newborn, Infection, Pregnancy, Streptococcal Infections, Streptococcus, Streptococcus agalactiae