title: Cat-transmitted sporotrichosis epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: description of a series of cases.
abstract: Sporotrichosis is the most common subcutaneous mycosis in South America. Classic infection is associated with traumatic inoculation of soil, vegetables, and organic matter contaminated with Sporothrix schenckii. Zoonotic transmission has been described in isolated cases or in small outbreaks. Since 1998, we have been observing an increasing number of cases of sporotrichosis in persons from the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and surroundings. From 1998 to 2001, 178 cases of culture-proven sporotrichosis had been diagnosed. Female patients predominated, and the median age was 39 years. The most frequent clinical presentation was lymphocutaneous disease. Of the 178 patients, 156 reported domiciliary or professional contact with cats with sporotrichosis, and 97 of these patients had a history of receipt of cat scratch or bite. The patients received itraconazole as first-line treatment. This study suggests that feline transmission of sporotrichosis was associated with a large and long-lasting outbreak of the disease in Rio de Janeiro.
authors.affiliation: Servico de Infectologia, Instituto de Pesquisa Clinica Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. monica@ipec.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Monica Bastos de Lima
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Armando de Oliveira
authors.initials: Ade O
authors.lastname: Schubach
authors.forename: Antônio Carlos Francesconi
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: do Valle
authors.forename: Maria Clara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gutierrez Galhardo
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conceição-Silva
authors.forename: Tânia Maria Pacheco
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schubach
authors.forename: Rosani Santos
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Bodo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wanke
authors.forename: Keyla Belizia Feldman
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Marzochi
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Conceição
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002415:Cats / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000635:transmission; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission