BACKGROUNDSporotrichosis is caused by species of the genus Sporothrix. From 1998 to 2015, 4,703 cats were diagnosed at the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Even after the description of the Sporothrix species, the characterisation of feline isolates is not performed routinely.OBJECTIVESTo characterise the clinical isolates from cats at the species level and correlate them with the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the cats.METHODSForty seven Sporothrix spp. isolates from cats assisted at Fiocruz from 2010 to 2011 were included. Medical records were consulted to obtain the clinical and epidemiological data. The isolates were identified through their morphological and physiological characteristics. T3B polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fingerprinting was used for molecular identification of the species.FINDINGSIn phenotypic tests, 34 isolates were characterised as S. brasiliensis, one as S. schenckii and 12 as Sporothrix spp. PCR identified all isolates as S. brasiliensis.MAIN CONCLUSIONS S. brasiliensis is the only etiological agent of feline sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro to date. None association was found between the isolates and the clinical and epidemiological data. In addition, we strongly recommend the use of molecular techniques for the identification of isolates of Sporothrix spp.

Introduction: Sporotrichosis is a mycosis affecting both humans and animals. Within the context of the ongoing sporotrichosis epidemic in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, sick cats plays an important role in the zoonotic transmission. The aim of this study was to update the number of feline cases diagnosed at the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011). Methods: The medical records of the cats followed were reviewed; the inclusion criterion was the isolation of Sporothrix spp. in culture. Results: In total, 2,301 feline cases were identifi ed. Conclusions: These results should alert sanitary authorities to the diffi culties associated with sporotrichosis control.Keywords: Sporothrix spp. Sporotrichosis. Cat. Zoonosis. Epidemiology.Sporotrichosis is an implantation mycosis caused by different species of the genus Sporothrix. The disease occurs worldwide but is endemic in Latin America, especially in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the fi rst epidemic of zoonotic sporotrichosis was described at the end of the 1990s 1 . The animal species most affected is the cat, which can exhibit a wide spectrum of clinical signs ranging from a single cutaneous lesion to a disseminated form 2,3 . Unlike the lesions observed in humans and dogs, cutaneous lesions in felines carry a high parasite burden, making the cat an important source of infection in the zoonotic transmission of this fungus 1,3,4 . In the past 14 years, transmission of S. schenckii from scratches, bites or contact with sick cats has been reported in Brazil The medical records of the cats followed at Lapclin-Dermzoo from January 2005 to December 2011 were reviewed; the inclusion criterion was the diagnosis of sporotrichosis confi rmed by isolation of Sporothrix spp. in culture. The data collected from each cat were stored and processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Simple frequencies for the categorical variables (origin, gender, breed, reproductive status, the distribution of cutaneous lesions and the presence of at least 2 cats per domicile) and measures of tendency for the quantitative variables (age and the duration of cutaneous lesions before the fi rst clinical visit) were determined. The frequencies of clinical characteristics of the cohort of cats were described by univariate analysis.In total, 2,301 cats with sporotrichosis were diagnosed at IPEC/FIOCRUZ. Due to the retrospective nature of this study, not all data were available for every animal. In this analysis, regarding the variables origin, gender, breed and reproductive status, respectively, 206, 46, 172 and 206 records were excluded because of incomplete data. All of the cats were from metropolitan regions of the State of Rio de Janeiro, mainly Rio de Janeiro municipality (61.2%; n = 2,095). The majority were male (66.4%; n = 2,255), mongrel (89.3%; n = 2,129) and unneutered (73.1%; n = 2,281). The median age of the cats was 2 years old. The median time between the appearance of cutaneous le...

Sporotrichosis occurs worldwide, and the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a main endemic area, with a large number of human and animal cases in the last 19 years. This mycosis is more frequently described in cats rather than in dogs. There are a limited number of oral antifungal agents for the treatment of sporotrichosis in animals. In this context, the effectiveness of terbinafine in the treatment of sporotrichosis in humans, as well as the promising results of in vitro susceptibility tests, inspired us to use this drug in the therapy of this mycosis in dogs. We reported for the first time the use of terbinafine in the treatment of two dogs with sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis. Moreover, we provided an overview of therapeutic features of canine sporotrichosis cases reported since the 1960s. One of the dogs presented the fixed cutaneous form of the disease, while the other patient presented hyperemia of the nasal mucosa and respiratory signs only. Terbinafine showed high antifungal activity in vitro against the canine Sporothrix isolates. The dogs were successfully treated with terbinafine, with remission of all clinical signs initially presented. The current reports indicate that this drug can emerge as a therapeutic option for canine sporotrichosis.

Sporotrichosis, a mycosis caused by pathogenic species of the genus Sporothrix, affects diverse species of mammals. Until 2007, Sporothrix schenckii was considered the unique etiologic agent of sporotrichosis. Canine sporotrichosis is a poorly reported disease, and the majority of cases are from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are scarce studies on the characterization of canine isolates of Sporothrix schenckii complex, as well as few antifungal susceptibility data available. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical isolates of Sporothrix from dogs from Brazil at species level and evaluate their antifungal susceptibility profile. Polyphasic taxonomy was used to characterization at species level (morphological, phenotypical characteristics, and molecular identification). Antifungal susceptibility profiles (amphotericin B, itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, and terbinafine) were determined using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute broth microdilution method (M38-A2). According to phenotypic identification and molecular analysis, 46 isolates included in this study were identified as S. brasiliensis and one as S. schenckii. Amphotericin B presented the highest minimum inhibitory concentration values, and the other drugs showed effective in vitro antifungal activity. This is the first report of S. schenckii in dogs from Brazil, since S. brasiliensis is the only species that has been described in canine isolates from Rio de Janeiro to date. Nevertheless, no differences were observed in the antifungal susceptibility profiles between the S. brasiliensis and S. schenckii isolates, and it is important to continuously study new canine clinical isolates from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Feline sporotrichosis is enzootic in different regions of Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro. This study compared the genotype profiles of Sporothrix sp. isolated from cats in Rio de Janeiro between 1998 and 2018 and evaluated their association with clinical and epidemiological characteristics. One hundred nineteen Sporothrix sp. isolates from a cohort of cats with sporotrichosis seen at INI/Fiocruz were included. Clinical and epidemiological data were obtained from the medical records of the animals. T3B PCR fingerprinting was used for molecular identification of the Sporothrix species. All isolates were characterized as Sporothrix brasiliensis, with the observation of low intraspecific variation in 31 isolates (31.3%). The interval between lesion onset and first medical visit at INI/Fiocruz, as well as treatment duration until clinical cure, was longer in cats from the first decade of the epizootic. In addition, the frequency of the variables “good general status” and “presence of lymphadenomegaly” was higher among cats whose strains did not exhibit intraspecific variation. So far, S. brasiliensis has been the only species identified in feline cases of sporotrichosis since the beginning of the epizootic in Rio de Janeiro at INI/Fiocruz.