2 patients with meningitis, bacteremia caused by swine streptococcus

Patient before treatment. Photo: BVCC

The first case is a CTL patient (44 years old, residing in Tam Nong, Phu Tho) admitted to the hospital due to high fever and generalized rash.

According to the family’s share, about 10 days before entering the hospital, the patient had a pig surgery. After about 1 week, the patient presented with a high fever and a rash all over the body.

The patient was admitted to the Emergency Department with a severe infection, high fever of 40 degrees Celsius, rapid breathing, rapid pulse, accompanied by a rash all over the body.

Through taking history, medical history along with clinical examination and paraclinical results, doctors diagnosed the patient with bacteremia suspected of swine streptococcus. The patient is treated with aggressive measures: antibiotics; dialysis; Care for damaged skin combined with nutrition.

After 4 days of treatment, the patient’s fever was gone, the necrotic rash was no longer spreading, and the paraclinical tests showed good results. Currently, the patient’s condition has gradually stabilized and can be discharged from the hospital in the next few days.

The second case is a NVC patient (67 years old, residing in Phu Ninh, Phu Tho), who was admitted to the Emergency Department with high fever, chills, and confusion.

The patient was prescribed by doctors to take scans, do paraclinical tests, and test cerebrospinal fluid. The results showed that the patient had meningitis caused by swine streptococcus.

After 4 days of antibiotic treatment, respiratory control, nutrition, and sedation, the patient’s fever was gone, and his consciousness gradually improved.

According to Doctor Nguyen Duc Lich, Emergency Department, swine streptococcus is a bacteria that causes disease in pigs and is at risk of infecting humans when they come into contact with sick pigs or use products from sick pigs. People infected with swine streptococcus have diverse clinical manifestations.

The course of the disease depends on the pathogen and the response of each patient’s body. When there are signs of swine coccidiosis, sick people need to quickly go to medical facilities for timely treatment.

To prevent swine streptococcus disease, the Ministry of Health makes 5 recommendations for people:

Ensure food hygiene and safety, do not eat raw blood pudding, uncooked pork products.

Do not use pork with an unusual red color, such as bleeding or edema.

Practice good personal hygiene, use gloves and other necessary protective equipment when handling pigs, handling pork, frequently washing hands with soap.

Do not trade, transport or slaughter sick or dead pigs; destroy diseased and dead pigs according to regulations.

People with suspected symptoms of the disease such as sudden high fever, headache, dizziness, skin rash… and a history of raising and slaughtering sick or dead pigs or eating unsafe pig products birth, it is necessary to immediately go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment to avoid life-threatening danger.