Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis, which affects mainly small animals, and is considered an important public health disease. This paper describes the epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of 103 clinical cases of sporotrichosis diagnosed over a 10-year period in southern Brazil. The 92 cats and 11 dogs from eight municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul State developed especially the disseminated cutaneous and fixed cutaneous forms of the disease. Respiratory signs such as sneezing, serous nasal discharge and dyspnea were found in about 57% of the animals. The detection of Sporothrix schenckii in different clinical samples showed highest isolation in testicles (46.6%), oral cavity (45.2%) and conjunctival mucosa (38.1%). A differentiated histological pattern was found between the fixed cutaneous and disseminated cutaneous (DC) manifestations of the disease; well-organized granulomas of nodular distribution and various fungal structures prevailed in the DC form in cats. Melanin detection in S. schenckii cells by the Fontana-Masson technique was positive in 45.4% of the samples. The study revealed that the State of Rio Grande do Sul is an endemic sporotrichosis area and demonstrated the possibility of involvement of other pathways in the infection and spread of the disease. In addition, it emphasized the importance of laboratory tests for mycosis confirmation, especially in dogs that develop clinical manifestations without the presence of cutaneous lesions.

Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is the second highest state with respect to sporotrichosis incidence in Brazil, with most cases occurring in the southern region. Given the importance of epidemiologic monitoring in hyperendemic areas, this study evaluated the spatial, geographical and annual sporotrichosis incidence over a period of 7 years in the southern region of RS, as well as the disease evolution over the last two decades. Data were collected from the Mycology Laboratory of the Federal University of Rio Grande (FAMED-FURG) and from the Centre for Zoonosis Control (CZC) of the Prefeitura Municipal of Pelotas city. All feline cases of sporotrichosis diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 were included and analysed. In addition, cases of human and canine sporotrichosis were accounted for. Over the 7-year period (2010-2016), 372 feline, 34 canine and 83 human cases of sporotrichosis were diagnosed, being the mean number of cases/year 18.33 in the first 3 years of the study and 116.33 in the last 3 years. Cases were distributed among 34 and 28 neighbourhoods in Rio Grande and Pelotas city, respectively. Socioeconomic features reinforced the result that the disease is already spreading across a major part of the southern region. In addition, the study demonstrated the intensification and expansion of the high endemicity areas. Therefore, given that the number of feline sporotrichosis cases in southern RS reached alarming proportions, we suggested that this region will promptly face an epidemic of sporotrichosis if no preventive or control measures are undertaken.

Clinical cases of feline sporotrichosis, originating in the Pelotas region and diagnosed at the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (UFPel), were studied in the period from 2002 to 2006. The animals were evaluated according to the clinical forms of the mycosis, time of lesion appearance, severity of the clinical diagnosis and evolution of cutaneous lesions throughout the treatment period. Mycological analyses, carried out through direct examination, cultivation of tissue samples and exudates of feline lesions all confirmed the diagnosis of sporotrichosis in the 15 animals under study. The cutaneous dissemination form was observed in 10 animals, of which three showed prostration, anorexia and dehydration. The zoonosis occurred in 20% of case studies, and the pet owners and one attendant at a veterinary clinic were infected, developing the fixed and disseminated cutaneous forms. The treatment of mycosis was carried out with itraconazole, 10 mg kg(-1), once a day, on 12 animals. The cure of the clinical symptoms was observed on 50% of the felines. This study demonstrates a good clinical response of felines with sporotrichosis, when they were treated itraconazole and calls the attention for the incidence of human sporotrichosis on people related to the veterinary activity as well as for pet owners.

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Fifteen patients were enrolled in a pilot study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in tamoxifen-treated patients. Patients were evaluated before treatment and after one, three and six months with the Greene Menopause Index and were treated according to the traditional Chinese medicine. Anxiety, depression, somatic and vasomotor symptoms were improved by the treatment; libido was not modified. Acupuncture seems to be safe and effective for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in women with previous breast cancer taking tamoxifen. Confirmatory studies with a larger number of patients and with a placebo-treated group are warranted.

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Introduction: Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic agent that causes infection in immunocompromised individuals. Several attributes contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of this yeast, including the production of germ tubes (GTs) and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phospholipase and proteinase. This study aimed to investigate GT production and phospholipase and proteinase activities in bloodstream isolates of C. albicans. Methods: One hundred fi fty-three C. albicans isolates were obtained from blood samples and analyzed for GT, phospholipase, and proteinase production. The assays were performed in duplicate in egg yolk medium containing bovine serum albumin and human serum. Results: Detectable amounts of proteinase were produced by 97% of the isolates, and 78% of the isolates produced phospholipase. GTs were produced by 95% of the isolates. A majority of the isolates exhibited low levels of phospholipase production and high levels of proteinase production. Conclusions: Bloodstream isolates of C. albicans produce virulence factors such as GT and hydrolytic enzymes that enable them to cause infection under favorable conditions.