Clinical epidemiological profile of cats with sporotrichosis in the city of Sao Paulo in 2020

Abstract

Sporotrichosis is a zoonosis caused by fungus of the genus Sporothrix. These fungi are usually present in the environment, soil and decomposition vegetation. Non-zoonotic infection occurs through traumatic inoculation of the etiological agent during the handling of contaminated soil, plants or natural organic matter. Currently, this is still a possible route of transmission, but zoonotic transmission is increasingly standing out, and human sporotrichosis is often related to scratching or biting animals, especially the domestic cat (Felis catus). In São Paulo, the Divisão de Vigilância em Zoonoses (DVZ) and the Unidades de Vigilância em Saúde (UVIS) are the municipal agencies responsible for the surveillance, prevention, and control of this zoonosis. The aim of this study is to draw the epidemiological profile of domestic cats with sporotrichosis in the city of São Paulo in 2020. The total of feline cases was 1,050 of which 653 were confirmed diagnoses of which 76% have free access to the outside. Adult, male and non-sterilized cats, due to their behavioral and exploratory habits, are more exposed to infection. Regarding the anatomical location of fungal lesions, the most frequent regions were: head (58.35%), thoracic limb (34.76%), body (28.33%) and snout (27.72%). Therefore, keeping cats indoors is an important point in preventing new cases. We suggest that future analyzes be carried out at least one year after notification/beginning of treatment for better monitoring of the cohort.