Butcher infected with streptococcus suis

Hanoi A 40-year-old woman who works as a butcher and pork butcher suddenly developed subcutaneous hemorrhage in patches and tested positive for streptococcus suis bacteria.

On May 22, a representative of Military Hospital 103 informed that the patient had a history of severe pain in her arms, legs, and back, and had been taking herbal medicine and weight loss pills for about a month. Two days ago, she felt tired, had a poor appetite, and had constant, dull pain in her right ribs, sometimes with sharp pains, which then became severe.

Upon admission, she was in a state of shock, restlessness, agitation, yellow mucous membranes, subcutaneous hemorrhage in patches, rapid, shallow breathing, rapid pulse, irregular heart rate, liver failure, acute kidney failure, increased signs of infection. The doctor assessed the patient as having septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction, the cause could be drug poisoning (previous use of herbal medicine) or infection (epidemiological factors of working as a slaughterhouse, selling pork), the risk of death is very high.

The patient was given respiratory and circulatory resuscitation, continuous blood filtration, and electrolyte replacement. During treatment, the doctor found that the patient had signs of infection with subcutaneous hemorrhage on the hands and feet, jaundice, and a blood culture was positive for Streptococcus Suis.

The patient underwent 7 consecutive blood filtrations, used strong antibiotics, and supported organ function. He gradually passed the critical stage, and organ function returned to normal. He was discharged after 28 days of treatment.

The patient's foot on the second day of hospitalization. Photo: Provided by the hospital — The patient's foot on the second day of hospitalization. Photo: *Provided by the hospital*

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), Streptococcus suis is a disease transmitted from animals to humans, there is no evidence of transmission from person to person. Most patients are related to slaughtering, eating raw blood pudding or uncooked dishes such as nem chao, nem chua. Some cases do not eat raw blood pudding, do not slaughter pigs but still get sick from eating contaminated meat or contact through skin injuries and scratches during processing.

This disease progresses extremely quickly, causing septic shock, coma and multiple organ failure. Patients often experience three forms: sepsis, purulent meningitis or a combination of both. Depending on the form, the disease can be mild or severe, with some cases being severely infected from the start.

The incubation period can be from a few hours to 4-5 days, depending on each person's constitution. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea but not frequent, easily mistaken for common digestive disorders and food poisoning. Patients also have headaches, tinnitus, deafness, stiff neck, lethargy, and necrotic rashes on the skin due to sepsis and purulent meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis. Severe cases can lead to toxic shock, circulatory collapse, cold body, low blood pressure, acute sepsis, severe blood clotting disorders, respiratory failure, multiple organ failure, coma and death.

Treatment is antibiotics, combined with blood filtration, respiratory and circulatory support. The mortality rate from streptococcal infection is about 7%. Patients who survive have a high rate of sequelae, about 40% (usually irreversible deafness).

Streptococcus suis bacteria are completely destroyed when food is thoroughly cooked. Therefore, to prevent the disease, do not slaughter sick or dead pigs, do not handle raw pork with bare hands, especially when there are wounds on the hands, wear gloves when handling rare or raw pork; wash hands thoroughly after processing meat.

Thuy Quynh

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