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 is caused by Sporothrix schenckii. The cat is the animal species most affected by this mycosis and plays an important role in the zoonotic transmission of this disease. The definitive diagnosis is made by isolation of the fungus in culture; however, cytopathological examination is frequently used in cats. Medical records from cats treated at Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2004 and 2006 were reviewed. Criteria for inclusion were a diagnosis by isolation of S schenckii in culture and cytopathological examination of the same lesion as that used for collection of the culture material. Eight hundred and six cats were included in the study. Yeast-like structures suggestive of S schenckii were observed in 636 cases. The sensitivity of the method was 78.9%. Its practicality, low cost and sensitivity validate cytopathology as a safe technique for the presumptive diagnosis of sporotrichosis in cats.

Sporotrichosis is a mycosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii. The most affected animal is the cat; it has played an important role in the zoonotic transmission of this disease, especially in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, since 1998. In order to evaluate the treatment of feline sporotrichosis with potassium iodide, an observational cohort was conducted in 48 cats with sporotrichosis at Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz. All cats received potassium iodide capsules, 2.5 mg/kg to 20 mg/kg q24h. The cure rate was 47.9%, treatment failure was 37.5%, treatment abandonment was 10.4% and death was 4.2%. Clinical adverse effects were observed in 52.1% of the cases. Thirteen cats had a mild increase in hepatic transaminase levels during the treatment, six of them presented clinical signs suggestive of hepatotoxicity. Compared to previous studies with itraconazole and iodide in saturated solution, potassium iodide capsules are an alternative for feline sporotrichosis treatment.

Cat scratch disease is a zoonosis caused by Bartonella species, transmitted to humans through scratches or bites from infected cats and via direct contact with infected feces. Sporotrichosis, caused by the fungal complex Sporothrix, is transmitted by traumatic inoculation of the fungus. Cats are important in zoonotic transmission. Serum samples from 112 domestic cats with sporotrichosis and 77 samples from healthy cats were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), using the commercial kit Bartonella henselae IFA IgG (Bion). The presence of antibodies against feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) core antigens was detected using the commercial kit Snap Combo FIV-FeLV (Idexx). The group of animals with sporotrichosis contained 93 males with a median age of 22 months, eight (7.1%) of which were positive for FIV and 15 (13.4%) for FeLV. The group of animals without sporotrichosis contained 36 males with a median age 48 months, 10 (13.0%) of which were positive for FIV and eight (10.4%) for FeLV. Of the 112 cats with sporotrichosis and 77 cats without mycosis, 72 (64.3%) and 35 (45.5%), respectively, were IFA reactive. No association was found between age, sex, FIV/FeLV and the presence of antibodies to Bartonella species. The results suggest that the study population can be considered a potential source of zoonotic infection for both diseases.