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.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an infection of the genital mucosa caused by different species of the genus Candida. Considering the lack of data on this topic in the south of Brazil, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of Candida spp. in the cervical-vaginal mucosa of patients treated at a university hospital in southern Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the etiology and the susceptibility of the isolates against fluconazole, itraconazole, miconazole and nystatin. Samples were collected at the gynecology clinic of the Federal Hospital of the University of Rio Grande, and the isolates were identified using phenotypic and biochemical tests. The susceptibility analysis was performed according to the CLSI M27-A2 protocol. Of the 263 patients included, Candida spp. was isolated in 27%, corresponding to a prevalence of approximately 15% for both VVC and colonization. More than 60% of the isolates were identified as Candida albicans; C. non-albicans was isolated at a rate of 8.6% in symptomatic patients and 14.3% in asymptomatic patients. The prevalence of resistance against fluconazole and itraconazole was 42% and 48%, respectively; the minimal inhibitory concentration of miconazole ranged from 0.031 to 8 μg/mL, and that of nystatin ranged from 2 to >16 μg/mL. The high rate of resistance to triazoles observed in our study suggests the necessity of the association of laboratory exams to clinical diagnosis to minimize the practice of empirical treatments that can contribute to the development of resistance in the isolates.

The article describes the epidemiology, macroscopic and histological lesions as well as the isolation of Aspergillus flavus and A. fumigatus from Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) during recovery in the Center for Recovery of Marine Animals (CRAM -32ºS/52ºW), over a period of two years. From January 2004 to December 2005 the Center received 52 Magellanic penguins, and 23% (12/52) died. Necropsies were performed and tissue samples were collected for histological and microbiological examination. From 12 dead animals, aspergillosis was confirmed in five animals, corresponding to 42% of the mortality. Granulomatous nodules were observed mainly on air sacs and lungs. Histologically, septate and branching hyphae, measuring 3-5 µm and PAS positive were found. Two of these cases were caused by A. fumigatus, two other by A. flavus, and in one the diagnostic was established by macroscopic lesions observed in the necropsy without sample collection for fungal isolation and identification. The five aspergillosis cases occurred in the first year of the study, when a disinfection program was not yet established in the CRAM. This paper points out the importance of aspergillosis in the rehabilitation process of captive penguins, and emphasize the necessity of an environmental disinfection on the aspergillosis prevention, mycosis that caused a high rate of mortality of the seabirds found on the Brazilian coast and admitted in the CRAM.

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.

As drogas antifúngicas são classificadas em agentes químicos clássicos e atuais e em antibióticos. Os agentes químicos clássicos são aqueles medicamentos que apresentam de maneira geral espectro de ação reduzido contra fungos, atuando como fungistático de modo indireto ao modificar as condições locais, como por exemplo o iodo, os ácidos graxos e derivados, ácido salicílico, tolnaftato e tolciclato. Os agentes químicos atuais são representados pelos imidazóis e triazóis, flucitosina e alilaminas e os antibióticos representados pelos poliênicos (anfotericina B, nistatina e natamicina) e a griseofulvina. A descrição de cada antifúngico considerado será apresentada no trabalho.

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Malassezia pachydermatis is recognized as a normal inhabitant and an opportunistic pathogen of the external ear canal and skin of dogs and cats. In especial clinical conditions, and mainly in the cases of therapeutic failure related to external otitis and dermatitis complicated by this yeast, it is recommended test susceptibility to antifungal drugs. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the susceptibility of 44 isolates of M. pachydermatis from the external ear canal and skin of dogs and cats using two different in vitro antifungal susceptibility methods: the Etest® and the broth microdilution method. Thirty-five samples were tested using the Etest®, twenty-four samples were tested using the broth microdilution method and fifteen samples were tested using both tests. The antifungal agents used were ketoconazole (KTZ), fluconazole (FLZ) and itraconazole (ITZ). In the broth microdilution method the yeast was less susceptible to ITZ while KTZ had the strongest activity. On the other hand, the Etest® showed that M. pachydermatis was more susceptible to ITZ while the less active drug was FLZ. The simultaneous evaluation using both methods identified FLZ as the antifungal drug with the highest activity (64.3%), followed by KTZ (57.1%) and ITZ (28.6%). These results showed that there is an urgent need to standardize of the values considered as parameters for growth inhibition of this yeast so a simple and efficient method can be used routinely in the laboratory practice.

Thiabendazole, classified as antiparasitic and also used as an antifungal drug, can be found as otological solution indicated for treatment of parasitic and fungal external otitis in small animals. Malassezia pachydermatis is a yeast recognized as a normal inhabitant on the skin and mucous membranes of dogs and cats. However, it is considered an opportunistic agent that causes external otitis and dermatitis in these animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of thiabendazole against 51 isolates of M. pachydermatis using the CLSI Broth Microdilution method that has been adapted for this yeast species (NCCLS, 2002). Based on this test, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of thiabendazol was calculated. Subsequently, the susceptibility of each isolate against this antifungal was determined. It was observed that the MIC of thiabendazole against M. pachydermatis ranged from 0.03 to > 4 µg/mL. A total of 13.7% of the isolates were found to be resistant, 47.1% were intermediate and 39.2% were sensitive to the drug. The rate of resistance of the yeasts against thiabendazole was similar to the results previously obtained with other antifungals, while the adapted broth microdilution technique used in this study proved to be efficient.