Sporothrix schenckii isolated from domestic cats with and without sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A total of 148 cats with a clinical and mycologic diagnosis of sporotrichosis and 84 apparently healthy cats with domiciliary contact with the affected animals were studied. Sporothrix schenckii was isolated from 148 (n = 148; 100%) clinical samples of cutaneous lesion (biopsy, swab or aspiration of purulent secretion), 47 (n = 71; 66.2%) nasal cavities, 33 (n = 79; 41.8%) oral cavities, and 15 (n = 38; 39.5%) nails of cats with sporotrichosis. Histopathological examination revealed yeast-like structures in 50 (n = 70; 71.4%) of the biopsies studied. S. schenckii was isolated from the blood culture of one cat (n = 5, 20%) with the disseminated cutaneous form of the disease. On another occasion, the fungus was isolated from the testis of one (n = 7; 14.3%) of the animals submitted to sterilization. In the group of cats with domiciliary contacts, 3 (n = 84; 3.57%) oral swabs showed positive cultures. Isolation of S. schenckii from different clinical specimens during both the clinical and preclinical phase reinforces the zoonotic potential of feline sporotrichosis.
Schubach
Tânia Maria Pacheco
TM
Serviço de Zoonoses, Centro de Pesquisa Hospital Evandro Chagas--Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. schubach@cpqhec.fiocruz.br
de Oliveira Schubach
Armando
A
dos Reis
Rosani Santos
RS
Cuzzi-Maya
Tullia
T
Blanco
Tânia Cristina Moita
TC
Monteiro
Dilma Ferreira
DF
Barros
Bastos Mĵnica de Lima
BM
Brustein
Ricardo
R
Zancopé-Oliveira
Rosely Maria
RM
Fialho Monteiro
Paulo Cezar
PC
Wanke
Bodo
B
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009262:Nails / Q000382:microbiology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*