Zoonotic transmission of canine sporotrichosis in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis, caused by the fungal complex Sporothrix schenckii, and composed of several species of the genus. Although diseased dogs show the minimal risk of infection to humans, such susceptibility is non-null and, therefore, should be considered. In the Northeast of Brazil, such mycosis has been reported in dogs but its role in local public health is still unknown. The objective of this study was to report the occurrence of canine sporotrichosis with transference capacity to humans, pointing a case in a Brazilian northeastern city. An 11-year-old male dachshund dog presenting skin lesions for two months. The dog was autochthonous to the city of Natal. The animal was referred for physical evaluation. Subcutaneous nodules were detected in the nasal and ventral-cervical regions. An incisional biopsy of the lesions was performed, subjecting the samples to histopathology. Itraconazole (10 mg/ kg, orally, every 24 hours) was prescribed. After a few days under physical evaluation, the guardian of the animal noticed alterations in the integument of her left upper limb. A clinical laboratory examination by a dermatologist detected sporotrichosis condition, being the animal caregiver submitted to a specialized therapy. The dermato-histopathology of the canine revealed the presence of Sporothrix spp., thus confirming the diagnosis of sporotrichosis. After the histopathological examination, itraconazole therapy was continued, achieving a complete lesion regression after 120 days. In dogs infected with the S. schenckii complex, transmission to humans should be considered regardless of the affected animal species, once sporotrichosis is an anthropozoonosis.