Veterinary clinic cluster links canine and feline sporotrichosis in Argentina

Investigators describe a dog and three cats with sporotrichosis associated with one veterinary clinic in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. The dog developed wound dehiscence, ulcerative lesions and respiratory signs about a month after surgery following a dog attack. Three cats developed persistent, suppurative surgical-site lesions after procedures or hospitalization at the clinic. Molecular sequencing confirmed S. brasiliensis in the dog and all three cats. The investigation included record reviews, interviews, contact assessments and environmental sampling.

The dog’s and cats’ cases overlapped epidemiologically, and their isolates were closely related by sequence analysis. All three environmental swabs—from a surgical table and instruments—grew fungi compatible with Sporothrix, but species-level identification was unsuccessful. The dog recovered after 122 days of itraconazole; two cats deteriorated and were euthanized, while the remaining cat was lost to follow-up. No human contacts reported skin lesions.

The cluster and environmental findings support, but do not prove, possible indirect exposure through contaminated surfaces or fomites. Dog-bite inoculation remained an alternative explanation for the canine case. The authors could not establish the transmission route and did not systematically assess infection-control practices. They advise considering sporotrichosis in regions with active S. brasiliensis transmission when cats or dogs have nonhealing postoperative or antimicrobial-refractory lesions. The article is an early-release report, not a final version.