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Cultivation Methods of Spirochetes from Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Complex and Relapsing Fever Borrelia
Published on: November 25, 2022
Epidemic sporotrichosis.
Armando Schubach1, Mônica Bastos de Lima Barros, Bodo Wanke
1Serviço de Infectologia, Brasil bLaboratório de Micologia Médica, Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. armando.schubach@ipec.fiocruz.br
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
|March 5, 2008
Summary
A cat-transmitted epidemic of sporotrichosis occurred in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cats transmitted Sporothrix schenckii to humans and dogs, highlighting the zoonotic potential and diagnostic challenges of this rare fungal infection.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection typically linked to environmental sources.
- Epidemic outbreaks are rare, with no prior reports of epizootics before the cat-transmitted event in Rio de Janeiro.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review published data on a cat-transmitted epidemic of sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- To highlight the emergence of sporotrichosis as a zoonotic disease in this region.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of diagnosed cases of sporotrichosis.
- Data collection on affected humans, dogs, and cats from 1998 to 2004.
- Review of clinical manifestations and transmission patterns.
Main Results:
- 759 humans, 64 dogs, and 1503 cats were diagnosed with sporotrichosis.
- High rates of contact with infected cats were reported in humans and dogs (85% and 83.4%, respectively).
- Cats with sporotrichosis preceded human and canine infections, demonstrating significant zoonotic potential through bites, scratches, and direct contact.
Conclusions:
- The emergence of sporotrichosis as a zoonotic disease in Rio de Janeiro remains unexplained.
- Physicians and veterinarians outside the epidemic area should be aware of sporotrichosis diagnostic challenges.
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