Diagnosis of human sporotrichosis in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Published in: Journal of infection in developing countries Vol. 13; no. 8; pp. 768 - 772
• Main Authors: De Almeida, Adriana Jardim, Nahn Júnior, Edilbert Pelegrini, Vieira da Motta, Olney, Lourenço, Camila da Silva, Bernardino, Maria de Lourdes Amaral, Nahn, Gabriel Portal Barros Pellegrini
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 31.08.2019
• Subjects: Laboratories; Medical diagnosis; Sporothrix; zoonosis; prevention; public health
• ISSN: 1972-2680; 2036-6590; 1972-2680
• DOI: 10.3855/jidc.11672

Sporotrichosis is an infectious fungal zoonosis associated with traumatic implantation in the skin of dimorphic fungi of the Sporothrix schenckii complex. The objective of this study was to diagnose sporotrichosis in patients in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, and to establish correlations between positive laboratory results and dermatological and topographical aspects of the lesions and personal traits of the patients, such as sex, age and profession. We collected samples from 22 patients with suspect lesions, which were sent to the laboratory for direct microscopic analysis after Gram staining, followed by mycological culture by seeding the material in 4% Sabouraud dextrose agar (Himedia®) supplemented with chloramphenicol (50 mg/Lt) and cycloheximide (400 mg/Lt - Sigma-Aldrich, USA). The dishes were incubated at 25-30oC. For confirmation of the diagnosis, the strains isolated in mycelial form were converted to yeast form by culture in yeast-peptone-dextrose (YPD) agar at 37oC for up to 15 days. The positive results demonstrated that the disease was most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 19 and 60 years, and that 18 (81.8%) of the patients reported having contact with pet cats. The occupations of those positive for sporotrichosis were not related to the disease. The upper limbs were the body region most often afflicted, with observation in the majority of cases of ulcerated lesions, although five patients also had nodular lesions. Additionally, the observation of lymphatic cords was frequent. In recent years, sporotrichosis has been diagnosed with relative frequency in Campos dos Goytacazes, causing great concern among public health officials and practitioners.