Animals ; Genomics ; Humans ; Serogroup ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus suis/isolation & purification* ; Swine ; Swine Diseases

Streptococcus suis is a bacterial pathogen causing a wide range of infections including meningitis, lung infections, arthritis, sepsis and endocarditis.1 Over the years, an increasing number of cases have been reported among humans especially in countries in Southeast Asia specifically in Vietnam and Thailand where pig-rearing is common.2 One of the prominent symptoms of S. suis infection is hearing loss that may be present during the onset or a few days after.1 We report two cases of adult S. suis meningitis presenting with bilateral hearing loss.
Streptococcus suis ; Meningitis ; Hearing Loss

Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause severe systemic infections in humans as well as swine. In recent decades, the number of S. suis infections in humans has increased, particularly in Southeast Asia. Although most cases of S. suis human infections are reported as sporadic, a few outbreaks have been noted. Interestingly, these outbreaks have been proposed to be associated with concomitant outbreaks in swine. In Korea, four sporadic and non-fatal cases of S. suis infection have been reported. We herein report a case of life-threating S. suis infection with sepsis for the first time in Korea. The patient was a healthy pig farmer, and the gastrointestinal tract was considered the route of infection. This case emphasized the need for awareness and recognition of S. suis as a zoonotic pathogen.
Abscess* ; Asia, Southeastern ; Disease Outbreaks ; Farmers ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic* ; Streptococcus suis* ; Streptococcus* ; Swine

Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen that can cause severe systemic infections in humans as well as swine. In recent decades, the number of S. suis infections in humans has increased, particularly in Southeast Asia. Although most cases of S. suis human infections are reported as sporadic, a few outbreaks have been noted. Interestingly, these outbreaks have been proposed to be associated with concomitant outbreaks in swine. In Korea, four sporadic and non-fatal cases of S. suis infection have been reported. We herein report a case of life-threating S. suis infection with sepsis for the first time in Korea. The patient was a healthy pig farmer, and the gastrointestinal tract was considered the route of infection. This case emphasized the need for awareness and recognition of S. suis as a zoonotic pathogen.
Abscess* ; Asia, Southeastern ; Disease Outbreaks ; Farmers ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic* ; Streptococcus suis* ; Streptococcus* ; Swine

Introduction: Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a gram positive cocci acquired through exposure to infected swine. The most common clinical manifestation is meningitis often accompanied by bacteremia. S. suis is an emerging pathogen with significant complications, but remains to be underreported. Only 1,584 cases of S. suis infection have been reported worldwide with most of the cases concentrated in Southeast Asia where swine quantity is high. Case Presentation: We report a case of a 52-year-old male who came in due to fever, generalized violaceous purpuric rash, headache, and nuchal rigidity. Patient was diagnosed with meningitis clinically. Patient consumed a diseased swine five days prior to admission. Blood culture was positive for S. suis II and clinical improvement was achieved with antibiotic treatment and administration of Dexamethasone. On follow-up check; however, patient had residual deafness on bilateral ears, which prompted referral to ENT service for further work-up and management. Our patient is the second Filipino and the first documented case to be diagnosed in the Philippines. Conclusion Despite a booming hog industry in the Philippines and increasing prevalence in its neighboring countries, S. suis infection remains unreported in our country due to either lack of available diagnostics or misdiagnoses; therefore, a good clinical skills and high index of suspicion are warranted in the initial diagnosis of patients infected with S. suis. In order to prevent epidemic outbreak in the future, simple preventive measures like handwashing and wearing gloves after handling raw pork meat should always be practiced. With an increased awareness among clinicians and microbiologists and vigilance among high-risk individuals, we will promote early diagnosis of this pathogen and prevention of its sequelae
Streptococcus suis ; Meningitis

Oral fluid analysis for herd monitoring is of interest to the commercial pig production in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate pathogen-positive rates and correlations among eight pathogens associated with porcine respiratory disease complex by analyzing oral fluid samples from 214 pig groups from 56 commercial farms. Samples collected by a rope-chewing method underwent reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, depending on the microorganism. Pathogens were divided into virus and bacteria groups. The former consisted of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), and the latter Pasteurella multocida, Haemophilus parasuis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP), Mycoplasma hyorhinis, and Streptococcus suis (SS). All pathogens were detected more than once by PCR. Age-based analysis showed the PCR-positive rate increased with increasing age for PCV2 and MHP, whereas SS showed the opposite. Correlations between pathogens were assessed among 36 different pair combinations; only seven pairs showed statistically significant correlations. In conclusion, the oral fluid method could be a feasible way to detect various swine respiratory disease pathogens and, therefore, could complement current monitoring systems for respiratory diseases in the swine industry.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ; Agriculture* ; Bacteria ; Circovirus ; Complement System Proteins ; Haemophilus parasuis ; Korea* ; Methods* ; Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae ; Mycoplasma hyorhinis ; Pasteurella multocida ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus ; Streptococcus suis ; Swine

Streptococcus suis is regarded as one of the major pathogens of pigs, and Streptococcus suis type 2 (SS2) is considered a zoonotic bacterium based on its ability to cause meningitis and streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome in humans. Many bacterial species contain genes encoding serine/threonine protein phosphatases (STPs) responsible for dephosphorylation of their substrates in a single reaction step. This study investigated the role of stp1 in the pathogenesis of SS2. An isogenic stp1 mutant (Δstp1) was constructed from SS2 strain ZJ081101. The Δstp1 mutant exhibited a significant increase in adhesion to HEp-2 and bEnd.3 cells as well as increased survival in RAW264.7 cells, as compared to the parent strain. Increased survival in macrophage cells might be related to resistance to reactive oxygen species since the Δstp1 mutant was more resistant than its parent strain to paraquat-induced oxidative stress. However, compared to parent strain virulence, deletion of stp1 significantly attenuated virulence of SS2 in mice, as shown by the nearly double lethal dose 50 value and the lower bacterial load in organs and blood in the murine model. We conclude that Stp1 has an essential role in SS2 virulence.
Animals ; Bacterial Load ; Humans ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Macrophages ; Meningitis ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress ; Parents ; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Streptococcus suis* ; Streptococcus* ; Swine ; Virulence*

Bacterial cell division is strictly regulated in the formation of equal daughter cells. This process is governed by a series of spatial and temporal regulators, and several new factors of interest to the field have recently been identified. Here, we report the requirement of gluconate 5-dehydrogenase (Ga5DH) in cell division of the zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus suis. Ga5DH catalyzes the reversible reduction of 5-ketogluconate to D-gluconate and was localized to the site of cell division. The deletion of Ga5DH in S. suis resulted in a plump morphology with aberrant septa joining the progeny. A significant increase was also observed in cell length. These defects were determined to be the consequence of Ga5DH deprivation in S. suis causing FtsZ delocalization. In addition, the interaction of FtsZ with Ga5DH in vitro was confirmed by protein interaction assays. These results indicate that Ga5DH may function to prevent the formation of ectopic Z rings during S. suis cell division.
Bacterial Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Division ; Cell Shape ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mutation ; Oxidoreductases ; deficiency ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Streptococcus suis ; enzymology

Streptococcus suis causes meningitis and sepsis in pigs, but human infection has increased over the past few years in those who are exposed to pigs or raw pork. Most cases have occurred in Southeast Asia, but only two cases have been reported in South Korea, presenting with arthritis and meningitis. Here, we report a rare case of S. suis infection, a 60-year-old sailor, who visited the emergency room presenting septicemia, pneumonia with empyema and meningitis, showed full recovery; however, neurologic sequale of severe cognitive dysfunction was present after the usage of antibiotics and percutaneous drainage. S. suis was isolated from blood and pleural fluid and the strain was susceptible to penicillin and vancomycin. Increased awareness of S. suis infection and prevention are warranted.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis ; Asia, Southeastern ; Drainage ; Emergencies ; Empyema ; Humans ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Middle Aged ; Military Personnel ; Penicillins ; Pneumonia ; Republic of Korea ; Sepsis ; Sprains and Strains ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus suis ; Swine ; Vancomycin

BACKGROUND: Human infection with Streptococcus suis (S. suis), a zoonotic pathogen, has been reported mainly in pig-rearing and pork-consuming countries. Meningitis is the most-common clinical manifestation and is often associated with deafness and vestibular dysfunction. CASE REPORT: A 57-year-old man was referred to the hospital with headaches, fevers, chills, and hearing impairment. Meningitis was confirmed and S. suis was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid. Spondylodiscitis occurred after 2 weeks of antibiotic treatment, and was successfully treated with a prolonged course of antibiotics for another 4 weeks. His hearing loss was irreversible despite the improvement of other symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first human case of S. suis infection in Korea. In patients presenting with meningitis, S. suis should be considered if the characteristic features of prominent and early hearing loss are present.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chills ; Deafness ; Discitis ; Fever ; Headache ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Middle Aged ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus suis