Dermatophytosis in cats: A comprehensive study on diagnostic methods and their accuracy.

Background: Dermatophytosis is a contagious fungal infection that affects mainly cats. It poses significant challenges in veterinary medicine due to its zoonotic potential and impact on animal and public health. Rapid and reliable diagnosis is crucial for preventing the spread of the disease, guiding treatment decisions, and monitoring disease control efforts.

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.

Household outbreak of sporotrichosis: towards the One Health approach.

Although sporotrichosis requires a broad approach for control, few reports have described the relationship between the index case and secondary contacts. In the present work, we report an outbreak involving a woman, a dog, and two cats from the same household environment, including the clinical and epidemiological aspects and outcomes, and discuss the importance of a One Health approach to face this neglected disease. The joint efforts of professionals such as veterinarians and physicians are essential for early diagnosis and surveillance, which contributes to the rapid identification and control of zoonotic sporotrichosis outbreaks.

In vitro activity of immunosuppressive agents against Cryptococcus neoformans.

Introduction: Infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans are a major cause of fungal mortality in HIV-infected/AIDS patients and in those receiving organ transplants. We evaluated the in vitro activity of tacrolimus and cyclosporine in combination with amphotericin B and fluconazole against C. neoformans.

Characterization of animal sporotrichosis in a highly urbanized area.

An epidemiological characterization of animal sporotrichosis was carried out between 2017 and 2018, in a highly urbanized area in Brazil, including outcomes and the spatial distribution of the cases according to the health vulnerability index (HVI) of the study territory. One hundred and sixty-five cats and four dogs suspected of sporotrichosis were identified by a surveillance and control program previously implemented in the study area. One hundred and five of these animals (62.

In vitro activity of immunosuppressive agents against Cryptococcus neoformans.

Introduction: Infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans are a major cause of fungal mortality in HIV-infected/AIDS patients and in those receiving organ transplants. We evaluated the in vitro activity of tacrolimus and cyclosporine in combination with amphotericin B and fluconazole against C. neoformans.

Spatial association between sporotrichosis in cats and in human during a Brazilian epidemics.

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous granulomatous disease caused by the fungus Sporothrix spp. In Brazil, S. brasiliensis is reported in regions of outbreaks and epidemics in the zoonotic form of the disease where cats play an important role in the transmission of the disease to humans.

Associated factors and spatial patterns of the epidemic sporotrichosis in a high density human populated area: A cross-sectional study from 2016 to 2018.

An epidemiological characterization of human and feline sporotrichosis was carried out between 2016 and 2018, in a high density-populated area in Brazil. Professionals were trained to identify suspect cats and notify vets to interview the owners and collect swabs of the wounds from these animals. Mycological cultures were performed, and colonies identified as Sporothrix spp.

New insights on evolutionary aspects of Pythium insidiosum and other peronosporaleans.

Background: The evolution of pathogenic mechanisms is a major challenge, which requires a thorough comprehension of the phylogenetic relationships of pathogens. Peronosporaleans encompasses a heterogeneous group of oomycetes that includes some animal/human pathogens, like Pythium insidiosum.

Objective: We analysed here the phylogenetic positioning and other evolutionary aspects related to this species and other peronosporaleans, using a multi-locus approach with one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes.

Imported hepatopulmonary echinococcosis: first report of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (G1) in Bolivia.

Hepatopulmonary hydatidosis in young children is a rare and atypical presentation of Echinococcus granulosus infection. We report the first case of cystic echinococcosis caused by a microvariant of E. granulosus sensu stricto.

In Vitro Activity of Neem () Oil on Growth and Ochratoxin A Production by Isolates.

is a saprobic filamentous fungus, food spoiling fungus and a producer of ochratoxin A (OTA) mycotoxin. In this study, the in vitro antifungal activity of neem oil (0.12% p/p of azadirachtin) was evaluated against the growth of six strains of and the production of OTA.

In vitro combination between antifungals and diphenyl diselenide against Cryptococcus species.

Cryptococcus species are an encapsulated fungal pathogen that cause cryptococcal meningitis. There are limited therapeutic options for this infection. The management includes the use of different antifungals such as amphotericin B, flucytosine, or fluconazole, either alone or in combination.

Influence of temperature on in vitro zoosporogenesis of Pythium insidiosum.

This study verified the influence of different temperatures on P. insidiosum in vitro zoosporogenesis. P.

Evaluation of the efficacy of a posaconazole and anidulafungin combination in a murine model of pulmonary aspergillosis due to infection with Aspergillus fumigatus.

Posaconazole (PSC) in combination with anidulafungin (AFG) was evaluated in a murine model of pulmonary aspergillosis. Immunosuppressed animals were infected via the nasal cavity with 2 different A. fumigatus strains.

Serum and brain purine levels in an experimental systemic infection of mice by Cryptococcus neoformans: Purinergic immunomodulatory effects.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the purine levels in serum and brains of mice experimentally infected by Cryptococcus neoformans. Twenty-four mice were divided into the following groups: a control group (n = 12; Group A) and an infection group with animals that were infected (n = 12; Group B) with a 0.3-mL intraperitoneal injection containing 1.

Comparison Between Etest and Broth Microdilution Methods for Testing Itraconazole-Resistant Aspergillus fumigatus Susceptibility to Antifungal Combinations.

The checkerboard broth microdilution assay (BMD) is the most frequently used method for the in vitro evaluation of drug combinations. However, its use to evaluate the effect of antifungal drugs on filamentous fungi is sometimes associated with endpoint-reading difficulties, and different degrees of interaction are assigned to the same drug combination. We evaluated combinations of the azoles, itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole, with the echinocandins, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, against 15 itraconazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus clinical strains via the checkerboard BMD and Etest assay.

Relationship between intracranial pressure and antifungal agents levels in the CSF of patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of intracranial hypertension in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amphotericin B and fluconazole levels of patients with cryptococcal meningitis. CSF samples and intracranial pressure were obtained by means of routine punctures performed at days 1, 7, and 14 of therapy, respectively. Amphotericin B and fluconazole CSF levels were measured by HPLC method as previously described.

Microevolutionary analyses of Pythium insidiosum isolates of Brazil and Thailand based on exo-1,3-β-glucanase gene.

Pythium insidiosum is an important oomycete due to its ability to infect humans and animals. It causes pythiosis, a disease of difficult treatment that occurs more frequently in humans in Thailand and in horses in Brazil. Since cell-wall components are frequently related to host shifts, we decided here to use sequences from the exo-1,3-β-glucanase gene (exo1), which encodes an immunodominant protein putatively involved in cell wall remodeling, to investigate the microevolutionary relationships of Brazilian and Thai isolates of P.

Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto, Echinococcus canadensis (G7), and Echinococcus ortleppi in fertile hydatid cysts isolated from cattle in Southern Brazil.

Echinococcosis is a cosmopolitan zoonotic infection that affects humans and animals. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize the fertile hydatid cysts from bovine viscera in order to verify different species and/or genotypes present in Southern Brazil. Firstly, cysts were collected from a slaughterhouse, which received animals from different regions of Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), considered an important area of occurrence of cystic echinococcosis.

Participation of purines in the modulation of inflammatory response in rats experimentally infected by Cryptococcus neoformans.

The present study was carried out to assess the participation of purines in the activation and modulation of inflammatory response of rats experimentally infected by Cryptococcus neoformans. Twenty four Wistar rats were divided into two groups of 12 animals each: Group A - uninfected control group and Group B - infected by C. neoformans.

Toxoplasma gondii: Effects of diphenyl diselenide in experimental toxoplasmosis on biomarkers of cardiac function.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 to treat mice experimentally infected by Toxoplasma gondii on seric biomarkers of cardiac function (creatine kinase, creatine kinase MB, troponin, and myoglobin), and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as to evaluate the enzymatic activity of creatine kinase (CK) and adenylate kinase (AK) in heart tissue. For the study, 40 female mice were divided into four groups of 10 animals each: the group A (uninfected and untreated), the group B (uninfected and treated), the group C (infected and untreated) and the group D (infected and treated). The inoculation was performed with 50 cysts of T.

Cholinesterase of rats experimentally infected by Cryptococcus neoformans: Relationship between inflammatory response and pathological findings.

The aim of this study was to assess the role of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) as biomarkers of inflammation and tissue injury on rats experimentally infected by Cryptococcus neoformans. For this purpose, 20 male rats were divided into two groups: 10 animals representing the uninfected control group (Group A) and 10 C. neoformans var.

E-NTPDase and E-ADA activities in rats experimental infected by Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans, the etiological agent of cryptococcosis, is an opportunistic fungal pathogen of immunocompromised individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activities of E-NTPDase and E-ADA in rats experimentally infected by C. neoformans var.