Cutaneous infection by Diaporthe phaseolorum in Brazil.

Diaporthe phaseolorum is a frequent fungal parasite of plants, rarely involved in human diseases. We describe a case of cutaneous infection caused by this fungus diagnosed by morphology and molecular biology, on the hands and on a foot of a renal transplanted Brazilian farmer. The infection was resolved with oral itraconazole.

Sporothrix schenckii in a hospital and home environment in the city of Pelotas/RS - Brazil.

This study describes the isolation of S. schenckii in hospital and home environments in Brazil. Samples were collected from surfaces of a veterinary service place and at home. S. schenckii was detected in 1.5% of the samples from the hospital environment. However, this fungus was isolated from all sampled areas in home environments. The isolation of S. schenckii demonstrates that these surfaces could act as infection sources to animals and humans. Therefore, employees and pet owners could be exposed to this agent, and the contamination, through surfaces, could occur through the traumatic inoculation of the fungus or by direct contact with pre-existing lesions.

Sporothrix schenckii in a hospital and home environment in the city of Pelotas/RS - Brazil

This study describes the isolation of S. schenckii in hospital and home environments in Brazil. Samples were collected from surfaces of a veterinary service place and at home. S. schenckii was detected in 1.5 percent of the samples from the hospital environment. However, this fungus was isolated from all sampled areas in home environments. The isolation of S. schenckii deonstrates that these surfaces could act as infection sources to anials and huans. Therefore, employees and pet owners could be exposed to this agent, and the contamination, through surfaces, could occur through the traumatic inoculation of the fungus or by direct contact with pre-existing lesions.

Esse estudo descreve o isolamento de S. schenckii em ambiente hospitalar e domiciliar, no Brasil. Foram colhidas amostras de superfície de local de atendimento veterinário e ambiente domiciliar. S. schenckii foi isolado em 1,5 por cento das amostras do ambiente hospitalar. Entretanto, esse fungo foi isolado em todas as amostras do ambiente domiciliar. O isolamento do S. schenckii demonstra a importância dessas superfícies atuarem como fontes de infecção para animais e humanos. Portanto, funcionários e proprietários de animais de estimação estariam expostos a esse agente e a contaminação, através das superfícies, poderia ocorrer pela inoculação traumática do fungo ou pelo contato direto com lesões pré-existentes.

Role of melanin in the pathogenesis of cutaneous sporotrichosis.

In this study, we evaluate the clinical, histopathological and ultra structural aspects of the infection by field strain (MEL(+)) and mutated strain (MEL(-)) of Sporothrix schenckii. The development of sporotrichosis at the inoculation sites was similar for both groups of animals after the second week of the experimental period. Statistical differences appeared only at weeks 3 and 5. The pigmented isolate had greater tissue invasive capacity, promoting the formation of multifocal granulomas, whereas the albino isolate induced an enhanced inflammatory response, restraining the agent to the core of the granulomas.