Familiar outbreak of sporotrichosis with atypical manifestation in Southern Brazil
Abraão Rosa Lima Machado 1, Melissa Orzechowski Xavier 1,2#, Mônica Campos dos Santos 1,2,3, Rossana Patrícia Basso 1,3, Bianca dos Santos Blan 2,3, Karine Ortiz Sanchotene 1,3, Mariana Rodrigues Trápaga 1,2,3, Vanice Rodrigues Poester 1,2#
1Laboratório de Micologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; 2Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; 3Hospital Universitário, FURG, Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares (Ebserh), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
Abstract
Sporotrichosis, a mycosis of implantation caused by Sporothrix spp., is an emerging disease with a high burden in Brazil. Zoonotic transmission by S. brasiliensis species occurs mainly through cats infected with the fungus. We report an outbreak of zoonotic sporotrichosis in a family of four people living in the same house with their domestic cat. Of the four patients, three presented atypical manifestations of the disease (ocular and erythema multiforme). The diagnosis was confirmed by mycological culture, and treatment with itraconazole resulted in cure with a mean resolution time of 116 days. Our report emphasizes the importance of high clinical suspicion for sporotrichosis even in patients with atypical manifestations in hyperendemic regions in order to promote timely diagnosis and treatment for patients.
#Correspondence:
melissaxavierfurg@gmail.com
vanicerp@gmail.com
Article info:
Received 31 October 2025
Revised 11 November 2025
Accepted 15 November 2025
Appeared online 23 November 2025
One Health Mycology 2(2): 152-157, 2025
doi.org/10.63049/OHM.25.22.6
Cite this article:
Machado ARL, Xavier MO, dos Santos MC, Basso RP, Blan B, Sanchotene KO, Trápaga MR, Poester VR 2025. Familiar outbreak of sporotrichosis with atypical manifestation in Southern Brazil. One Health Mycology 2(2), 152-157
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
ISSN: 3050-4627
doi.org/10.63049/OHM.25.22.6
Keywords:
Sporothrix brasiliensis, Parinaud syndrome, erythema multiforme, hypersensitivity sporotrichosis, ocular sporotrichosis
Article highlights:
- Outbreak of zoonotic sporotrichosis in a family of four members living in the same household, with a single infection source, the domestic cat.
- High incidence of atypical clinical manifestations of sporotrichosis, including ocular involvement and erythema multiforme.
- Emphasis on the importance of maintaining high clinical suspicion for sporotrichosis, even in patients presenting with atypical symptoms.