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Meningitis caused by streptococcus suis: Case report and review of the literature

Streptococcus suis-Meningitis: Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht

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Summary

A case of purulent meningitis caused byStreptococcus suis type 2 (group R streptococcus) is described. It occurred in a 69-year-old farmer's wife who raised pigs on her farm. Here, as well as in nearly all other cases ofS. suis meningitis reported to date, close occupational contact with pigs or pork preceded the infection; this epidemiological link can be explained by the frequent occurrence ofS. suis as a commensal and opportunistic pathogen in pigs. Up until now,S. suis infection in man has been rare and has had a good prognosis. However, disturbances of the eighth cranial nerve have been found in many patients, even causing permanent deafness in some. These and other clinical, epidemiological and microbiological features ofS. suis disease in man are discussed here.

Zusammenfassung

Es wird ein Fall einer durchStreptococcus suis Typ 2 (Gruppe R-Streptokokken) hervorgerufenen eitrigen Meningitis beschrieben. Die Erkrankung trat bei einer 69jährigen Frau auf, die auf ihrem Bauernhof eine große Schweinezucht betreibt. Wie in diesem, so ist auch in fast allen anderen Fällen einerS. suis-Erkrankung, über die bisher berichtet wurde, eine berufliche Exposition zu Schweinen oder Schweinefleisch gegeben. Dieser Zusammenhang kann damit erklärt werden, daßS. suis bei Schweinen als Kommensale sowie als opportunistischer Krankheitserreger vorkommt. Bisher ist die Erkrankung beim Menschen selten aufgetreten. Sie hat eine gute Prognosequoad vitam; als Folgeerscheinungen treten jedoch häufig Affektionen des achten Hirnnerven ein, die bei einigen Patienten zu einer vollständigen Ertaubung führten. Weitere klinische, epidemiologische und mikrobiologische Aspekte derS. suis-Erkrankungen des Menschen werden diskutiert.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hygiene-Institut der Universität Köln, Goldenfelsstr. 21, D-5000, Köln 41

    R. Lütticken

  2. Staatliches Medizinaluntersuchungsamt, D-2160, Stade

    N. Temme

  3. Institut für Hygiene der Bundesanstalt für Milchforschung, D-2300, Kiel

    G. Hahn

  4. I. Medizinische Klinik, Diakonie-Krankenhaus, D-2720, Rotenburg/Wümme

    E. W. Bartelheimer

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  1. R. Lütticken
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  2. N. Temme
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  3. G. Hahn
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  4. E. W. Bartelheimer
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Lütticken, R., Temme, N., Hahn, G. et al. Meningitis caused by streptococcus suis: Case report and review of the literature. Infection 14, 181–185 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01645260

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