A Case of Sensorineural Hearing Loss Associated with Streptococcus suis Meningitis

Abstract

The major animal host of Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is the pig. S. suis can cause a zoonotic disease in humans that is characterized by meningitis, sepsis, arthritis, and endocarditis. It is a rare disease, with only about 26 cases reported from Japan; meningitis is observed in 70% of cases and hearing loss in 50% of cases.

The patient was a 60-year-old man, who initially presented with fever and sore throat. His symptoms were relieved with the medication prescribed by his family doctor. The following day, he came to our hospital complaining of dizziness and hearing loss on the left side. Hearing tests revealed left-sided deafness. He was admitted to our hospital for sudden hearing loss, but blood examination showed a prominent inflammatory reaction. He had complained of severe low back pain from the beginning, and gradually also developed headache and neck pain, which led to the suspicion of meningitis and confirmation, by a neurologist, of the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis by CSF examination. A few days later, S. suis was detected in blood and spinal fluid cultures.

We encountered a case of acute sensorineural hearing loss associated with S. suis meningitis, which is a recognized occupation-related disease, such as in employees of the pig industry. The patient was in the restaurant business, and the infection was suspected to have been transmitted through a cut wound while he was cooking raw pork. Because of the high incidence of infectious meningitis and concomitant hearing loss in patients with this disease, it is important for otolaryngologists to be aware of this disease.