A WOMAN surnamed Huang was infected with Streptococcus suis (S. suis) after handling raw pork, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

Early one morning, Huang felt a bit feverish. Shen then became nauseous and found her knees were sore.

Her family immediately took her to a hospital but the cause of her illness remained unknown until a week later. The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention later confirmed that Huang had been infected with S. suis, which is a zoonotic disease capable of being transmitted to humans from pigs.

Huang is said to have handled uncooked pork that she had brought from her brother’s home in Jieyang. Being a quick-tempered person, she didn’t wait for the pork to thaw and broke the pork bone with her bare hands. Moreover, she had a wound on her hand and simply rinsed her hands after handling the raw meat.

Fortunately, no other members of Huang’s family have developed S. suis infection symptoms, and the preliminarily conclusion was that Huang had been infected while cooking the pork.

According to the Shenzhen CDC, S. suis is transmitted through direct contact, and often through exposure to wounds on the skin, with infected pigs or uncooked pork. Additionally, eating undercooked pork or viscera of infected pigs might also lead to infection, but such cases are relatively rare.

To prevent S. suis infection, residents are advised to wear protective gloves while handling pork. It is suggested that residents refrain from buying pork from unknown sources or origins, as it likely carries diseases or parasites. (Zhang Yu)