The Ministry of Public Health has warned people who love to eat food made of half-cooked or undercooked pork of the risk of suffering from sudden hearing loss as a result of infection from streptococcus suis bacteria.
Since the beginning of this year until June 3, 122 cases of streptococcus suis infection were reported in 19 provinces and eight of them have died.
People infected with the bacteria will have high fever, severe headache, hearing impairment, muscles pain, diarrhea and breathing difficulty. Mortality rate from blood poisoning ranges from 5-20 percent.
People who work in pig farms or in slaughter houses are at risk of contracting the bacteria from pigs. They should wash their hands or take a shower after being exposed to pork meat for a long time and pig farms should be clean, said the Public Health Ministry .
The ministry also advised consumers to be selective in buying pork in fresh markets or in department stores to make sure that the meat looks fresh and does not smell. The pork should be cooked at least 10 minutes or boiled until it does not look red.
