Molecular characterisation of Sporothrix schenckii isolates from humans and cats involved in the sporotrichosis epidemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
An epidemic of sporotrichosis, a subcutaneous mycosis caused by the fungus Sporothrix schenckii, is ongoing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in which cases of human infection are related to exposure to cats. In an attempt to demonstrate the zoonotic character of this epidemic using molecular methodology, we characterised by DNA-based typing methods 19 human and 25 animal S. schenckii isolates from the epidemic, as well as two control strains. To analyse the isolates, the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was performed using three different primers, together with DNA fingerprinting using the minisatellite derived from the wild-type phage M13 core-sequence. The analyses generated amplicons with considerable polymorphism. Although isolates exhibited high levels of genetic relatedness, they could be clustered into 5-10 genotypes. The RAPD profiles of epidemic S. schenckii isolates could be distinguished from that of the United States isolate, displaying 20% similarity to each primer and 60% when amplified with the M13 primer. DNA fingerprinting of S. schenckii isolated from the nails (42.8%) and the oral cavities (66%) of cats were identical to related human samples, suggesting that there is a common infection source for animals and humans in this epidemic. It is clear that cats act as a vehicle for dissemination of S. schenckii.
Reis
Rosani Santos
RS
Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. rosani.reis@ipec.fiocruz.br
Almeida-Paes
Rodrigo
R
Muniz
Mauro de Medeiros
Mde M
Tavares
Patrícia Morais e Silva
PM
Monteiro
Paulo Cezar Fialho
PC
Schubach
Tânia Maria Pacheco
TM
Gutierrez-Galhardo
Maria Clara
MC
Zancopé-Oliveira
Rosely Maria
RM
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary
D004271:DNA, Fungal