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.
Keywords: Streptococcus suis; hearing impairment; meningitis; spondylodiscitis.