We describe the successful treatment of a series of 30 zoonotic sporotrichosis cases from southern Brazil. Sporothrix brasiliensis was the species genotypically identified in all 25 confirmed cases. Five other cases were classified as probable, without laboratory confirmation, but with clinical and epidemiological data of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis. Two isolates were sequenced by translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF1α) loci in order to compare their sequences, and both of them showed distinct genotypes from S. brasiliensis strains from other Brazilian states. Itraconazole (ITZ) or potassium iodide (KI) were the first choice treatment in 28 and 2 cases, respectively. Microdilution assay showed a wild-type profile of S. brasiliensis isolates to ITZ. However, a lack of clinical response occurred in 42% of cases, especially those treated with ITZ 100 mg/day, and treatment needed modifications, by either increased doses or antifungal combinations. Clinical cure required a mean of 187 days of treatment, which was dependent on the clinical form of the disease and age of patients. Therapy, including dosages and durations, for cutaneous forms of sporotrichosis requires re-evaluation, since cases caused by S. brasiliensis may influence treatment efficacy.

Background In Brazil, zoonotic sporotrichosis became a national public health problem, with thousands of cases in the last decade in several regions of the country. In this context, health education activities are critical, especially in promoting early diagnosis and access to proper health care in sporotrichosis hyperendemic areas. Therefore, we report the implementation of a public specialised reference service (SRS) for diagnosis and treatment of sporotrichosis in southern Brazil. We evaluated the impact of the SRS on diagnostic confirmation and speed of diagnosis. Methods The SRS was implemented in Rio Grande City. We implemented a public service to promote the correct diagnosis, treatment and follow‐up of human sporotrichosis cases. To study the impact of implementing SRS, the annual number of cases and the period between the appearance of lesions until diagnosis were compared, using prior data and that post‐implementation. Results The implementation of the SRS directly benefited almost 50 patients in only four years, with the collaboration of almost 50% of the local health groups, together with an increase of more than 200% in diagnosis confirmation and speed of diagnosis, showing the reach, impact and importance of the SRS. Conclusion The impact on the individual and collective health of the local population highlights the value of this public health approach in facing the epidemiological threat of zoonotic sporotrichosis.

Prenatal care is a key indicator of the quality of health services. The current study aimed to evaluate the correlation between data from prenatal care cards and maternal recall in the city of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The cross-sectional study included all mothers from 2010 who had received prenatal care. Interviews were conducted with a pre-coded questionnaire in the maternity hospital. Of the 2,288 mothers interviewed, 1,228 (53.7%) had the prenatal care card with them and thus comprised the group for comparison. The analysis used kappa correlation and confidence interval. The variables six or more prenatal visits, clinical breast and gynecological examination, two blood tests, VDRL, HIV serology, urine test, and tetanus vaccination showed statistically significant differences between annotated and maternal recall data (p ≤ 0.001). Adequacy of prenatal care based on the guidelines of the Program for Humanization of Prenatal Care (PHPN) was 23.9% according to information provided by the patients and 4.4% according to information recorded on the prenatal cards (p ≤ 0.001). The prenatal care card showed underreporting, which limited the quality assessment of prenatal care.

Prenatal care is a key indicator of the quality of health services. The current study aimed to evaluate the correlation between data from prenatal care cards and maternal recall in the city of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The cross-sectional study included all mothers from 2010 who had received prenatal care. Interviews were conducted with a pre-coded questionnaire in the maternity hospital. Of the 2,288 mothers interviewed, 1,228 (53.7%) had the prenatal care card with them and thus comprised the group for comparison. The analysis used kappa correlation and confidence interval. The variables six or more prenatal visits, clinical breast and gynecological examination, two blood tests, VDRL, HIV serology, urine test, and tetanus vaccination showed statistically significant differences between annotated and maternal recall data (p ≤ 0.001). Adequacy of prenatal care based on the guidelines of the Program for Humanization of Prenatal Care (PHPN) was 23.9% according to information provided by the patients and 4.4% according to information recorded on the prenatal cards (p ≤ 0.001). The prenatal care card showed underreporting, which limited the quality assessment of prenatal care.