Streptococcus suis is primarily pig's pathogen, but can cause disease in a man exposed to contact with pigs (butchers, abatoir workers, farmers).
Infection in man is most frequently manifested as purulent
meningitis, with
deafness and
ataxia, but there are rare reports on
septic shock with
multiple organ failure and death. We report two patients with Streptococcus suis type 1
infection, treated in "Dr Josip Bencević" General Hospital, Slavonski
Brod. The first patient suffered a very abrupt and severe illness, with
septic shock,
multiple organ failure and lethal outcome. The second patient had purulent
meningitis with
deafness. Both of them had a defect in immunologic function before
infection. They were probably infected during manipulation with pork meat at home. Our patients had
infection with Streptococcus suis type 1, contrary to reports on prevalent human
infection with type 2. It is necessary to make epidemiologic survey on human
infection with that pathogen, especially in those professionally exposed to pigs and pork meat.