Porcine streptococci causing meningitis and septicaemia in man.

From 1968 to 1974 seven cases of septicaemia and purulent meningitis caused by porcine streptococci of the Lancefield group R and three cases caused by similar streptococci lacking R antigen occurred in the Netherlands. Bacteria isolated from all ten patients shared the characteristics of a biochemically well defined bacterial species (provisionally called Streptococcus subacidus) which until 1968 was only found in pigs. Nine of the ten patients had had intensive contact with live or slaughtered pigs.