Key result
Fusobacterium nucleatum linked to postpartum septic shock in a COVID-19-positive patient without periodontal disease.
Why the study?
COVID-19 exacerbates perinatal infection, while periodontal disease causes systemic infection during pregnancy.
Case Report (n=1)
No
COVID-19 may facilitate systemic infection and perinatal sepsis by oral flora such as F. nucleatum even in the absence of periodontal disease.
Case of peripartum Fusobacterium sepsis in COVID-19 supports infection vigilance; hypothesis-generating for periodontal screening in pregnancy.
COVID-19 exacerbates perinatal infection, while periodontal disease causes systemic infection in pregnancy. Here we present the case of a COVID-19-positive woman without a notable dental history who developed septic shock caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum. She was admitted for labor at 39 weeks of gestation; the rupture of membranes occurred 10 hours after hospitalization. On the next day, she gave birth to a male infant by forceps delivery following recurrent late decelerations of fetal heart rate. She presented with shivering and low blood pressure following manual removal of the placenta, leading to a suspicion of septic shock. Her symptoms improved substantially with antibiotics and she was discharged on day 9 after hospitalization. Subsequent cultures of blood taken from the mother and gastric aspirate from the infant identified F. nucleatum. We speculate that COVID-19 led to perinatal sepsis due to the mother's oral flora even in the absence of periodontal disease.
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Chun et al. (2026) conducted a case report in COVID-19 and septic shock in pregnancy (n=1). COVID-19 was evaluated on Development of septic shock. A 28-year-old COVID-19-positive pregnant woman without periodontal disease developed septic shock caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum after delivery.
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