Diagnosis of human sporotrichosis in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Sporotrichosis is an infectious fungal zoonosis associated with traumatic implantation in the skin of dimorphic fungi of the Sporothrix schenckii complex. The objective of this study was to diagnose sporotrichosis in patients in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, and to establish correlations between positive laboratory results and dermatological and topographical aspects of the lesions and personal traits of the patients, such as sex, age and profession. METHODOLOGY: We collected samples from 22 patients with suspect lesions, which were sent to the laboratory for direct microscopic analysis after Gram staining, followed by mycological culture by seeding the material in 4% Sabouraud dextrose agar (Himedia®) supplemented with chloramphenicol (50 mg/Lt) and cycloheximide (400 mg/Lt - Sigma-Aldrich, USA). The dishes were incubated at 25-30oC. For confirmation of the diagnosis, the strains isolated in mycelial form were converted to yeast form by culture in yeast-peptone-dextrose (YPD) agar at 37oC for up to 15 days. RESULTS: The positive results demonstrated that the disease was most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 19 and 60 years, and that 18 (81.8%) of the patients reported having contact with pet cats. The occupations of those positive for sporotrichosis were not related to the disease. The upper limbs were the body region most often afflicted, with observation in the majority of cases of ulcerated lesions, although five patients also had nodular lesions. Additionally, the observation of lymphatic cords was frequent. CONCLUSION: In recent years, sporotrichosis has been diagnosed with relative frequency in Campos dos Goytacazes, causing great concern among public health officials and practitioners.

[Relative risk of infection of parasites from genus Cryptosporidium in cattle in North of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil]. / Risco relativo da infecção por parasitos do gênero Cryptosporidium em bezerros bovinos no Norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

The aim of the study was to detect Cryptosporidium oocysts in calves feces throughout North of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, as well as to examine the risk factors involved in the animals infection. One hundred young calves on 13 dairy farms were analyzed for oocyst excretion. The samples were submitted to Ritchie and Ziehl-Neelsen modified tests, and the observation of the oocysts was made by using the optical microscope. The results obtained showed that Cryptosporidium was detected in 61% of the animals. Statistical analysis of the risk factors revealed that only three of them demonstrated a significant influence for infection: Animals bred under technical systems such as the use of milking equipment, milking cooler and farms that have water trough were more likely to be infected with the protozoan.