A 57-year-old man was rushed to the hospital with a high fever, vomiting, and other symptoms just three hours after slaughtering a pig. Doctors diagnosed him with a serious swine streptococcus infection, which manifested in symptoms like necrotic purpura on the skin and respiratory failure. The man was transferred to the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, where he received lower level endotracheal tube placement and treatment for whole body edema, multi-organ failure, liver and kidney damage, and blood clotting disorders.
The patient’s family revealed that he slaughtered pigs every day to sell, and his symptoms began shortly after slaughtering one. Swine streptococcus disease is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus suis and can lead to severe illnesses like meningitis, hemorrhage, pneumonia, myocarditis, and arthritis. People affected by this disease can die from bacterial toxins that cause septic shock, endocarditis, multi-organ failure, and sepsis.
Doctors recommend precautions when handling pork to prevent such incidents from happening again. These include ensuring that pork has been inspected by veterinary authorities before consumption or sale; avoiding pork that appears unusually colored or swollen; refraining from consuming dead pigs or rare dishes like pig blood pudding; using protective equipment when slaughtering and processing raw pork; keeping cooking utensils clean; washing hands and tools after handling pork; and using separate utensils for raw and cooked meat. By following these guidelines
