Hyperendemia of Sporotrichosis in the Brazilian Southeast: Learning From Clinics and Therapeutics

The molecular identification of the Sporothrix schenckii complex has not only changed epidemiology data but has also shown atypical clinical features leading to new therapeutic challenges. S. brasiliensis is the main etiological agent of the biggest feline zoonotic transmission to be reported in southeast Brazil since the late 1990s. Its phenotype has also changed as a result of the production of melanin in primary cultures from patient-affected sites; it is thus thought to be a more virulent species. Elderly, children, pregnant women, and immunosuppressed patients, particularly AIDS patients, are special groups that are at risk. More aggressive diseases have been observed in apparently immunocompetent patients. This article is intended to review the main aspects of clinical and therapeutic approaches that have been learned from the epidemics.