Streptococcus suis Blamed in Human Deaths

August 1, 2007 — 

A number of human deaths and illnesses in Vietnam and China have been linked to exposure to Streptococcus suis since early 2007.

The disease in humans is most frequently observed in people directly involved with slaughtering pigs. Eating cooked meat or organs from infected pigs poses no risk and person-to-person spread does not seem to occur. In humans, the organism has been reported to cause most commonly meningitis, but also toxic shock (if the pathogen produces the appropriate toxins), and less commonly, endocarditis.

Latest reports indicate that the disease has infected at least 42 people in Vietnam and 2 in China. Two people have died in Vietnam. China suffered a severe outbreak in 2005 infecting over 200 people and killing at least 38.

A very thorough review of the disease in pigs and its potential impact to the human population entitled Lessons from China's Streptococcus suis Outbreak: The Risk for Humans by Marcelo Gottschalk, DVM, PhD, and Mariela Segura, MSc, PhD is available online.