Responsible ownership and health education can reduce the time of sporotrichosis treatment in domestic cats.

Sporotrichosis is a widespread fungal infection that affects skin and subcutaneous tissues in humans and animals. In cats, it is displayed as nodules, ulcers and lesions on the nasal and respiratory mucosa. Antifungal treatment of cats is crucial but many cases are difficult, thus resulting in discontinue of the treatment, with disastrous consequences for the animal, encouraging contamination of the environment, other animals and people. The effects of responsible ownership education and health education for owners of cats with feline sporotrichosis as well as the interval between veterinary consultations on treatment outcomes for three groups of owners and their pet cats were evaluated in this study. The responsible ownership education and health education strategies consisted in videos in easy and accessible language for people with any level of education and were presented during consultations for two of the three groups included. The time between appointments was two weeks for two of the groups, and four weeks for one of the groups. The median of treatment time for the group without educational activities was 138 days, while for the other two groups it was 77.5 days and 86 days. It was found a significative reduction in the treatment time in the groups exposed to Responsible ownership education videos. There was no contamination of those responsible for home treatment, and the interval between monthly appointments did not impact on cure or death rates compared to the interval between fortnightly appointments. All these results can be applied to feline sporotrichoses treatment protocols increasing the owners treatment adherence and reducing either, the treatment discontinuation and the treatment costs and helps to control zoonotic sporotrichosis. The importance of attractive and comprehensible educational strategies as part of the feline sporotrichosis treatment protocol for the promotion of one health was highlighted.

DISTRIBUTION AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCI ISOLATED FROM FREE-LIVING SOUTH AMERICAN COATI (NASUA NASUA) IN AN URBAN PARK IN MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL.

The scientific information regarding staphylococci in procyonids is scarce. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency, distribution, and pattern of antimicrobial resistance of staphylococcal species isolated from free-roaming coatis (Nasua nasua) in an urban park in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Rectal swabs from 55 free-living coatis were plated onto mannitol salt agar for isolating staphylococci, and species were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of nuc, and sequencing of 16S rRNA and rpoB when needed. Antimicrobial susceptibility was investigated using the disk diffusion method, and the presence of the mecA gene was investigated by PCR. A total of 72.7% of the animals tested positive for staphylococci. Nine different species were identified, and Staphylococcus intermedius (60.4%) and S. delphini (20.9%) were the most frequently isolated species. Most of the isolates were susceptible to most of the antimicrobials evaluated, with a resistance pattern seen for penicillin (13.9%). One isolate was multidrug-resistant (MDR). The present study suggests that coatis are natural hosts of S. intermedius and S. delphini and, despite living in a heavily anthropized environment, the Staphylococcus spp. isolates showed a low incidence of drug resistance.

Emergence of zoonotic sporotrichosis due to Sporothrix brasiliensis in Minas Gerais, Brazil: A molecular approach to the current animal disease.

Sporotrichosis is a neglected fungal zoonosis with significant impacts on human and animal health. Accurate diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of the transmission dynamics of Sporothrix species are essential for mitigating the spread of sporotrichosis. This study aimed to identify the Sporothrix species involved in the ongoing outbreaks of animal sporotrichosis in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and analyse the phylogenetic relationships between pathogenic species to investigate the outbreak origin. Additionally, to better understand the evolution of the disease, we conducted a retrospective survey of positive feline and canine cases from November 2017 to July 2021 with proven cultures for Sporothrix. A significant increase in animal cases over the last 4 years was observed, with cats being the most affected host. Sporothrix brasiliensis was the predominant agent in 100% of the clinical isolates (n = 180) molecularly identified. Phylogenetic and haplotype analysis points towards the cases isolated from Minas Gerais sharing the haplotype originating from a long-lasting outbreak of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro, however, with a secondary contribution from genotypes circulating in other outbreaks in Brazil. Thus, we present clear evidence of the circulation of different S. brasiliensis genotypes associated with animal sporotrichosis in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. Genetic monitoring can contribute to understanding the causal agent for zoonotic sporotrichosis in epidemiological processes and help to implement disease prevention and control measures.