The patient is receiving treatment and is in a stable condition, the information office of the municipal said the local government yesterday.

The man, who lives in Bao'an District, felt sick last Thursday morning and went to a local clinic for treatment. His condition temporarily improved, but he fell into a coma in his dormitory on Saturday morning and was sent to Longhua Hospital. He has since been transferred to Shenzhen People's Hospital and the Shenzhen Disease Control and Prevention Center diagnosed him with the disease.

The local government did not reveal how the man contracted the disease, but stressed that local health and agricultural authorities had strengthened inspections of meat products.

The man's family members and work colleagues, have shown no symptoms of the disease and no epidemic has been found among pigs in the Shenzhen, said the government.

Initial symptoms of Streptococcus Suis are fever, headaches, and dizziness and it can cause meningitis and arthritis.

In 2005, an outbreak of the disease killed 37 people and infected more than 250 in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Further reading: Streptococcal Suis and human health