Endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Streptococcus suis infection: a case report

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is an emerging zoonotic human pathogen, which commonly causes meningitis and sepsis. Ocular infections associated with S. suis infection are very rare. Herein, we reported a rare case of a man who developed endophthalmitis complicated by meningitis following S. suis infection.

A 48-year-old male with a fever, loss of vision in the right eye, slight headache, and hearing loss in the right ear was admitted to our hospital. A comprehensive ophthalmological examination suggested endophthalmitis. The metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) results of pathogenic microorganisms from vitreous and cerebrospinal fluid samples revealed that the causative pathogen was S. suis, which was further confirmed by the bacterial culture of the vitreous sample. Subsequently, the patient received phacoemulsification and vitrectomy, combined with silicone oil tamponade, as well as local and systemic anti-infective therapy, after which his condition significantly improved.

Despite the low incidence rate of endophthalmitis caused by S. suis, clinicians should be aware of relevant clinical manifestations, especially for patients with neurological symptoms and risk factors for S. suis infection. The next-generation sequencing is efficient for etiological diagnosis of pathogenic microorganisms.