Abstract
Streptococcus suis is a zoonotic pathogen of economic significance to the swine industry. The number of infected cases is increasing in humans worldwide. In this study, we determined the prevalence and diversity of S. suis carriage in slaughterhouse pigs in Phayao province, Thailand, where an outbreak occurred in 2007. The overall S. suis carriage rate was 35.2% among slaughterhouse pigs. The prevalence rates of serotypes 2 and 14 (the major serotypes infected in humans) were 6.7% and 2.6%, respectively. In both serotypes, 70.4% of isolates of serotypes 2 and 14 revealed sequence types and pulsotypes identical to human isolates in Thailand. It is suggested that pathogenic strains of S. suis are a risk factor for occupational exposure to pigs or the consumption of raw pork products. Food safety, hygiene, and health education should be encouraged to reduce the risk group.
Highlights
Streptococcus suis, an important zoonotic pathogen, causes invasive infections in pigs and in humans in close contact with infected pigs or contaminated pork-derived products [1,2,3]
We determined the prevalence of S. suis in slaughterhouse pig tonsils in Phayao province, northern
We found the carriage rates of S. suis serotypes 2 and 14 in pig tonsils were 6.7% and 2.6%, respectively
Summary
Streptococcus suis, an important zoonotic pathogen, causes invasive infections in pigs and in humans in close contact with infected pigs or contaminated pork-derived products [1,2,3]. Serotype 2 is the most prevalent in S. suis human infections, cases have been reported caused by serotypes. A previous study reported that slaughterhouse pigs were the main source of S. suis serotype human infections in southern Vietnam [10]. A study in Hong Kong reported an increased bacterial density of S. suis in raw pork meats at wet markets where there was a hot and humid climate [11]. Another study reported a high contamination of S. suis in pork and edible pig organs in central Thailand [12]. The poor quality of food safety controls for raw pork products at slaughterhouses and wet markets in this region is likely providing an important source of this infection
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