Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – UK reports a case of contracting a rare cat-borne blistering skin disease. Previously, this rare case had never occurred outside of South America.
Reported from Daily Mailthree British people who were exposed to this rare blistering skin disease experienced fungal infections, wounds, and boils appeared on the hands, wrists and forearms.
The three people are a 63-year-old mother who is from southeastern Brazil and has lived in England for three years, a 30-year-old woman who is the mother’s daughter, and a veterinarian.
The local government health chief said that all three cases tested positive sporotrichosis brasiliensis and contracted it from the same cat. Previously, the cat had been rescued from Brazil, where the fungus is widespread.
At first, the 63-year-old woman saw a doctor after suffering three weeks of sores on her hands and swollen lymph nodes. Apart from that, he also checks for scratches from cats while feeding.
Meanwhile, her daughter, who was also infected, had an ulcer on her middle finger that didn’t go away. The boil appeared eight weeks after she was scratched by the cat.
Both were referred by general practitioners to the local infectious disease clinic and given itraconazole for six months. Itraconazole is a drug to treat fungal infections in various parts and areas of the body.
The third case reported was a veterinarian who had been scratched by a cat he was examining. Four weeks later, the doctor developed an ulcer on his middle finger and the skin lesions or damage spread to his arm.
The doctor also underwent a biopsy confirmed positive for sporothrix brasiliensis and prescribed itraconazole for three months.
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According to the same report, sporotrichosis is spread through bites or scratches from infected cats. Usually, the first symptom that appears is a small, painless pink, red, or purple lump.
Generally, these symptoms appear on the fingers, hands or arms where sores appear on the skin due to scratches or bites. An open lump or nodule then develops and starts to look like an open sore. These lumps are usually very slow to heal.
Although rare, it is also possible for an infected person to get pneumonia if the mold spores are inhaled. If that happens, it can cause symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing, and fever.
The infection can spread to other parts of the body, including the bones and joints as well as the central nervous system, causing joint pain, headaches and seizures. This condition is called disseminated sporotrichosis.
Since most cases of sporotrichosis only involve the skin or the tissue beneath the skin, the CDC says most cases can be treated with prescription antifungal medications for several months.
If the infection gets worse and affects other parts of the body, the doctor will give intravenous drugs. People with Sporotrichosis in the lungs may need surgery to remove damaged tissue.
(hsy/hsy)
