title: Human meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis.
abstract: Streptococcus suis is an important swine pathogen worldwide, which can be transmitted to human beings by direct contact; therefore, S. suis infections occur mainly in people who handle pigs or pork. We present a case of a patient with S. suis meningitis who worked as a butcher in a meat processing plant for 5 years. The 35-year-old man was admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases in T. Browicz Memorial Central Infectious Disease and Observation Hospital in Bydgoszcz, Poland, with suspected bacterial meningitis. According to his medical history, the patient had been injured during the processing of pork. A microbiological examination of the cerebrospinal fluid and blood revealed S. suis as a single aetiological factor of this infection. The patient was empirically administered cefotaxime (2.0 g at 8-h intervals) and penicillin (9 million U at 8-h intervals). The patient made a complete recovery and his inflammatory markers normalized. Only the hearing deficit of his right ear did not disappear. An otolaryngologist recommended a 4-week steroid therapy. The patient was not examined because he did not report to the clinic. To our knowledge this is the first described case of human meningitis caused by S. suis in Poland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. M Skłodowskiej-Curie 9, 85094 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Patrycja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zalas-Więcek
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. M Skłodowskiej-Curie 9, 85094 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michalska
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Św Floriana 12, 85030 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grąbczewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Św Floriana 12, 85030 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. Św Floriana 12, 85030 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawłowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, ul. M Skłodowskiej-Curie 9, 85094 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gospodarek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011044:Poland; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D017011:Streptococcus suis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents