The epidemiological scenario of feline sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

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...

Sporothrix brasiliensis outbreaks and the rapid emergence of feline sporotrichosis

“…Indeed, the high number of cases in a short period is compatible with the ongoing situation reported earlier in other endemic areas of Brazil. [1][2][3]6,12,14,15,19,20,28,29 The real prevalence of feline sporotrichosis is likely to be underestimated in Southern Brazil, since it is not an obligatorily reported disease. We considered only the cases referred to FAMED-FURG and with confirmed laboratorial diagnosis of sporotrichosis, i.e., by isolation of Sporothrix in culture.…”

“…In addition, the long-lasting outbreak of cattransmitted sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro started in 1990's decade [31][32][33] and now is accounting for over than 4000 human cases and 3800 in felines. 20 Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states present different prevalence of cat infections, and ecological biomes, although they have in common the presence of urban areas with high population density, which is a major contributing factor to epizootics. In addition, all these regions described an early outbreak episode 2,17,31 triggering the continued transmission, which points to negligence of the epidemic.…”

“…34 In cats, whose injuries often develop a large number of fungal propagules, direct examination has a great value, allowing the presumptive diagnosis in a few minutes and can help to guide specific treatment and consequently improve clinical outcome. 20,34 Although the yeast cells of Sporothrix spp. observed in the direct examination are not pathognomonic and can be confused with other microorganisms, such as Candida glabrata and Histoplasma capsulatum, 34 in our study the specificity of this test was 100%, specially taking into consideration the association with clinical and epidemiological data of the patient.…”

“…19 Consequently, cats present a great potential to spread the disease to other animals and humans in a short period of time due to their mobility and fighting behaviour. 17,19,20 The long-lasting outbreak of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis that originated in Rio de Janeiro presents with epidemic proportions. 14,20 More recently, the beginning of a similar outbreak was described in São Paulo, and S. brasiliensis was involved during animal-animal transmission.…”

“…17,19,20 The long-lasting outbreak of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis that originated in Rio de Janeiro presents with epidemic proportions. 14,20 More recently, the beginning of a similar outbreak was described in São Paulo, and S. brasiliensis was involved during animal-animal transmission. 2 Sporothrix epizootics in cats also occurs through the Rio Grande do Sul state.…”