On January 25, news from the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital said that a patient who ate black blood pudding at the year-end festival contracted streptococcus multiorgan failure and died.
Patient TVH is a 50 year old male, from Giao Thuy – Nam Dinh, with a healthy history. Three days before entering the hospital, the patient had a pig slaughtered and prepared blood pudding for a year-end party with friends.
One day following the party, the patient felt body ache, had loose stools twice, accompanied by high fever, chills, discomfort, and purple limbs. Family members took the patient to the emergency room at Giao Thuy District Hospital, then he was transferred to Nam Dinh Provincial General Hospital.
Serious bleeding legs of a patient infected with streptococcus following eating blood pudding. BVCC photo
Here, the doctors diagnosed septic shock due to Streptococcus suis, prescribed antibiotics, vasopressors, intubation, and mechanical ventilation, and transferred the emergency to the Hospital of Heat Diseases. Central zone.
The time from when the patient arrived at the district hospital and was transferred to the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital was less than 5 hours.
At the Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases, the Intensive Care Department received the patient in a state of 100% FiO2 oxygen breathing, pupils on both sides were dilated to 4mm, inguinal pulse might not be detected, blood pressure might not be measured, and the whole body had purple streaks. , purpura necrosis on the face, arms and legs.
The patient was treated for circulatory arrest and the heart beat once more. After intensive resuscitation, the patient’s condition did not improve and the patient died on January 23, 2024.
According to Doctor Nguyen Quoc Phuong, Deputy Head of General Planning Department – Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, the cause of patient H.’s death: septic shock caused by streptococcus swine with multiple organ failure – metabolic acidosis – disorder severe blood clotting.
“Swine streptococcus is a bacterium that naturally inhabits the upper respiratory tract, especially the tonsils, nasal cavity, genital and digestive tract of healthy or diseased pigs. Swine streptococcus has 35 serotypes, in Type 2 is the most virulent and often causes disease in humans.
People at risk of infection: Due to eating habits that have a high risk of contracting streptococcus, such as eating raw or undercooked pig products, including blood and pig organs, quite common in Asia. , especially Vietnam, Thailand…
For subjects at high risk of contracting swine streptococcus such as pig farmers, veterinarians, meat processing and transport workers, butchers and chefs, swine streptococcus can be transmitted directly into the blood following contact with pigs or pork carrying pathogens when there are skin wounds,” Dr. Phuong shared.
Dr. Phuong said that when people are infected with streptococcus, it can manifest in many different clinical forms such as: purulent meningitis, septicemia, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome with multi-organ failure, inflammation. endocarditis and arthritis.
Common joints: hips, elbows, wrists, sacroiliac bones, spine and thumbs.
The mortality rate due to streptococcus infection is very high. People infected with streptococcus swine may suffer permanent hearing loss (deafness) and vestibular disorders are commonly reported sequelae of patients infected with streptococcus swine.
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent swine streptococcus in humans. Therefore, disease prevention is mainly to ensure labor safety in animal husbandry, food safety and hygiene, processing and eating cooked pig products, not eating blood pudding, sick or dead pigs. .
“Preparing for the nation’s traditional Tet, in some rural areas of Vietnam, the pig-touching movement is still maintained. Several families slaughter a pig together, then share the meat to take home. There are some other products. Other items include: the throat, pig lungs, and pig intestines are minced and processed to make blood pudding.
This is extremely dangerous, because even healthy pigs can still carry viruses and bacteria. Eating blood pudding can cause many dangerous diseases, including swine streptococcus disease.
Therefore, people should not eat pig blood pudding or raw pork in any form, even if the pigs are healthy,” Dr. Phuong advised.