Streptococcus suis meningitis: the newest serious infectious disease.

The authors report 41 patients with meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis. The clinical feature of the meningitis is characteristic with severe sensorineural hearing loss, developing early during the course of meningitis. These patients were cured with high doses of penicillin or third generation cephalosporins but the deafness remained permanent. The mechanism of the cochlear and vestibular damage is uncertain; presumably, it is caused by some oto-toxins from bacteria. The disease may become an occupational risk of pork handlers and a public health problem in Thailand.