Cases of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis in Brazil have increased in recent years. We collected respiratory secretions expelled while sneezing from 28 cats diagnosed with sporotrichosis. We identified the presence of Sporothrix spp. in respiratory droplets expelled in the sneeze of infected cats. The results raise concerns about a new transmission route for cat-transmitted sporotrichosis. Physicians who diagnose and treat human cases of sporotrichosis should be aware of this potential new transmission method to improve clinical suspicion. Approximately half of patients with granulomatous conjunctival sporotrichosis did not report experiencing traumatic injury from cats.
Keywords: One Health; diagnosis; sporotrichosis; transmission; zoonoses.
Cat-transmitted sporotrichosis is a zoonosis in geographic expansion from Brazil to other Latin American countries and is considered a public health problem. Data suggest that transmission can occur through the sneeze of an infected cat. The One Health approach is necessary to control the disease.
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.