Cryptococcosis due to Cryptococcus gattii VGII in southeast Brazil: The One Health approach revealing a possible role for domestic cats

Abstract

Two cats infected by C. gattii, presented lesions on the nasal region and respiratory signs. Strains were typed as molecular type VGII, mating type alpha, MLST subtypes ST442 and ST185. Since Rio de Janeiro is known as an endemic area for C. neoformans VNI, these cases might be a warning for a possible emergence of C. gattii VGII in southeast Brazil.

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii Species Complexes in Latin America: A Map of Molecular Types, Genotypic Diversity, and Antifungal Susceptibility as Reported by the Latin American Cryptococcal Study Group

“…To date, 106 publications have reported the major molecular type of 5686 isolates of C. neoformans and C. gattii from Latin America, identified mostly by RFLP (57.14%). From those, 65 publications were retrieved from the revision on cryptococcosis in Latin America and 41 were found afterwards [ 15 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 32 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , …”

“…From the less frequently recovered veterinary isolates, reported in two articles and eight case reports from Brazil, Cuba, and Chile, the molecular type VGII was predominant (73.68%), followed by VNI (15.79%), VGIII (5.26%), and VGI (5.26%) ( Table 1 ). When stated, veterinary cases were from seven cats, five dogs, two goats, a guinea pig, and a cheetah held in a zoo [ 55 , 62 , 70 , 71 , 76 , 81 , 123 , 133 ].…”

“…Taking advantage of the data analysis, unique nomenclature, and interlaboratory comparability of MLST, it was possible to gather 367 MLST profiles of C. neoformans and 400 of C. gattii isolates from Latin America, reported in 26 publications [ 20 , 32 , 61 , 66 , 68 , 73 , 75 , 79 , 81 , 84 , 87 , 90 , 91 , 98 , 100 , 106 , 109 , 117 , 123 , 124 , 128 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 , 142 ]. MLST studies with clinical and environmental C. neoformans isolates have been reported from Brazil (77.11%), Peru (12.53%), Colombia (9.54), and Argentina (0.82%), while MLST studies with clinical, environmental, and veterinary C. gattii isolates have been reported from Brazil (65.25%), Colombia (26.25%), Mexico (5%), Argentina (1%), Venezuela (1%), and Uruguay (0.75%), as well as Cuba, Guatemala, and Paraguay with one isolate each (0.25%).…”

“…The susceptibility to the commonly used antifungal drugs has been determined in 570 cryptococcal isolates from Latin America, based on data gathered from 23 publications [ 17 , 32 , 52 , 54 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 63 , 65 , 66 , 72 , 77 , 79 , 81 , 85 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 116 , 117 , 123 , 124 , 134 ]. From the 570 isolates, all have data on antifungal susceptibility to fluconazole, 434 to amphotericin-B, 296 to itraconazole, 251 to voriconazole, 250 to 5-fluorocytosine, and 192 to posaconazole.…”

“…Similarly, in C. gattii , non-wild-type VGII isolates to fluconazole [ 54 , 85 ], itraconazole [ 81 ], and voriconazole [ 81 , 89 ] have been reported in Brazil. Among the molecular type VGIII, fluconazole non-wild-type isolates have been described in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico [ 32 , 117 , 134 ].…”