Streptococcus suis in a swine farm worker: first isolation in Brazil

Abstract

Streptococcus suis represents apotential zoonosis risk in personnel working in close contact with swines. Thepurpose of this study was to evidence the human carrier status of S. suis in farm workers belonging tothree different pig farms located in three different cities of the state of SãoPaulo, Brazil. Cotton swab samples were taken from tonsils of 28 workers. The S. suis-like strains were identified bypolymerase chain reaction, confirmed by sequencing and serotyped bycoagglutination technique. For the first time in Brazil, one farm worker was identified as a human carrier of S. suis.