Man's body turns purple after eating sick pork

The Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases said it had just admitted a 62-year-old male patient (residing in Lai Chau province) in critical condition, with acute kidney failure, liver failure and requiring a ventilator.

The patient's family said that about a week after preparing and eating the sick pork , the patient had a high fever, chills, fatigue, and loose stools many times a day and was treated at home.

Cơ thể tím đen của người đàn ông sau khi ăn thịt lợn ốm - Ảnh 1.

The patient was in a state of hemorrhagic necrosis throughout his body. Photo: Provided by the hospital

Two days later, the patient had black stools, accompanied by hemorrhagic necrosis throughout the body and was taken to Lai Chau General Hospital. The patient was diagnosed with septic shock, multiple organ failure, and was monitored for streptococcus suis.

Here, the patient was intubated, put on a ventilator, and maintained on vasopressors... However, after 1 day of treatment, the patient's condition did not improve, so he was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases. After testing, the doctor concluded that the patient had septic shock, sepsis, and meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis. Currently, the patient is still in critical condition, with multiple organ failure and on a ventilator.

Doctors say that symptoms of streptococcal disease usually appear after a few hours to 4-5 days, with some cases incubating for 14 days, depending on the individual. Initial symptoms are often nonspecific, such as abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and loose stools. In severe cases, the patient has a headache, high fever, decreased consciousness, lethargy, and necrotic rashes on the skin due to sepsis and purulent meningitis.

People who have been infected with streptococcus suis can still get it again. The sequelae of meningitis can cause deafness, headaches...

Streptococcus suis bacteria are completely destroyed when food is thoroughly cooked. Therefore, people should not eat raw blood pudding, pig intestines and pork, and should not eat dead or sick pigs. Do not slaughter sick or dead pigs, and do not handle raw pork with bare hands, especially if there are wounds on the hands. Wear gloves when handling raw or rare pork, and wash hands thoroughly after handling meat.

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