Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline sporotrichosis outbreak in Bangkok cats and antifungal testing
By Kanokporn Yingchanakiat et al.·Published in Journal of Fungi·2023·Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Road, Bangkok 10900, Thailand, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility of <i>Sporothrix schenckii sensu stricto</i> Isolated from a Feline Sporotrichosis Outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats in Bangkok, Thailand, developed sporotrichosis, a serious fungal infection caused by Sporothrix schenckii. Most affected were young male domestic short-haired cats that had access to the outdoors. Researchers found that the fungi were sensitive to common antifungal medications like amphotericin B and itraconazole, which means these treatments could be effective. To help control this outbreak and protect both cats and humans, it's important for pet owners to be aware of the symptoms and seek prompt veterinary care.
People also search for: cat sporotrichosis symptoms · antifungal treatment for cats · how to prevent cat fungal infections
Abstract
Sporotrichosis, an invasive fungal infection caused by <i>Sporothrix schenckii</i>, has emerged in Southeast Asia, affecting cats and posing a potential zoonotic risk to humans. We evaluated 38 feline sporotrichosis cases in and around Bangkok, Thailand, from 2017 to 2021. The isolates were phenotypically and genotypically characterized. The cats infected with sporotrichosis were mainly young adults, males, and domestic short hairs with uncontrolled outdoor access, and they lived in Bangkok. All isolates showed low thermotolerance and converted to the yeast phase at 35 °C. Based on the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA sequences, our strains belonged to <i>S. schenckii sensu stricto</i> and clustered with clinical clade D. Based on the concatenated tree of calmodulin and beta-tubulin genes, five groups of <i>S. schenckii</i> were generated, and the monophyletic clade, Group II, of Thai strains was recognized. In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing demonstrated that the MIC50 of our isolates to amphotericin B, itraconazole, and posaconazole were within the limit of the species-specific epidemiological cutoff values, suggesting that the organisms were the wild type. Addressing the outbreak of feline sporotrichosis in Thailand by providing guidelines for diagnosis and effective treatment may help control the spread of disease and reduce the risk of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis to humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9050590