Streptococcus suis meningitis in the Netherlands

Accepted 28 April 2008. published online 09 June 2008.

Summary

We present four patients with Streptococcus suis meningitis identified during a 3.5-year prospective surveillance study in the Netherlands. All cases were associated with exposure to pigs. Patients presented with classic symptoms and signs of bacterial meningitis. Outcome was characterized by severe hearing loss. Physicians should be aware of occupational exposure with S. suis and risk of meningitis associated with this pathogen.

Keywords: Zoonoses, Streptococcus suis, Meningitis, Prospective studies, Occupational diseases, Hearing loss

a Department of Neurology, Centre of Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands

b Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre of Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

c The Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis, Centre of Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Corresponding author. Tel.: +31 205663842; fax: +31 205669374.

PII: S0163-4453(08)00161-8

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2008.04.009

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