Sporotrichosis is an infectious disease caused by the fungus Sporothrix schenckii, which is found naturally in soil and plants. Thrush occurs when this microorganism manages to enter the body through a wound on the skin, resulting in the formation of small reddish sores or bumps similar to mosquito bites, for example.
This disease can occur in humans and animals, with cats being the most affected. Thus, sporotrichosis in humans can also be transmitted by scratching or biting cats, especially those living on the street.
There are 3 main types of sporotricosis
In most cases, treatment of sporotrichosis is easy and only requires an antifungal for 3 to 6 months. Therefore, if there is a suspicion of contracting a disease after contact with a cat, for example, it is very important to see a family doctor or an infectious disease to make the diagnosis and start treatment.
Treatment of human sporotrichosis should be done with the advice of the doctor and the use of antifungal drugs, such as itraconazole, is usually indicated for 3 to 6 months.
In the case of disseminated sporotrichosis, i.e. when other organs are affected by the fungus, it may be necessary to use another antifungal, such as amphoterin B, which should be used for approximately 1 year or as recommended by your doctor.
It is important that treatment is not discontinued without medical advice, even with the disappearance of symptoms, as this may promote the development of fungal resistance mechanisms and thus complicate the treatment of the disease.
The first signs and symptoms of sporotrichosis in humans may appear 7 to 30 days after contact with the fungus, with the first sign of infection being the appearance of a small red and painful lump on the skin similar to mosquito bites. Other symptoms of sporotrichosis include:
It is important that treatment is started quickly to avoid respiratory and joint complications, such as swelling, pain in the limbs, and difficulty making movements, for example.
Skin sporotricosis infection is usually identified by a biopsy of a small sample of thick tissue that appears on the skin. However, if the infection is located elsewhere in the body, a blood test is needed to identify the presence of the fungus in the body or a microbiological analysis of the person’s injury.