What is sporotrichosis?

Sporotrichosis is a skin infection caused by the fungus sporothrix. This fungus is often found on rose thorns, straw, sphagnum moss or moss species that are often used to grow orchids or other ornamental plants, twigs and soil. The infection is more common in gardeners and those who grow roses, dry grass producers and individuals who cultivate the land. Once this sporotrichosis fungus infects the skin it will take a few days or months for symptoms to begin appear. However, it turns out that this fungal disease is not only caused by plants but it can also be caused by your pets, such as cats.

Among the features of this fungal disease infection is its tendency to increase into an epidemic among cats with a high potential to be contagious to humans. Sporo is a disease that easily infects pets such as cats and even dogs.

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When your cat exposed to spores?

The fungal disease sporotrichosis or better known as sporo is often associated with a disease that can lead to death to pets especially cats. Cats with this sporo disease better known as sporothrix brasiliensis infection often have sores on their face, usually occurring around the nose.

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How does this sporo happens?

These injuries can occur as a result of fights that occur with other cats that are already infected. Thus, cats that lick infected wounds on their body will transmit the fungal disease to the face and mouth. Usually, animals exposed to outdoor activities are more susceptible to this disease through sporo fungi. The fungus will enter the body through the mouth, wound or both and the wound will not dry even if treated and it can also have adverse effects on humans including causing death if an infected animal bites or scratches us.

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Effects if humans are exposed to spore disease

The effects of this sporo infection can only be felt after two months through symptoms such as swelling and boils. If failure to seek immediate treatment can cause these boils to grow along with the lymph nodes. In fact, it will get even worse by spread to the lungs and throughout the body, eventually causing death.

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Symptoms of infected sporo disease

The first symptom of sporotrichosis is a lump on the skin that can be which is coloured from pink to almost purple. These lumps are usually not feeling painful it just feels soft. It can develop open wounds or boils that can produce clear fluid. If left untreated, these bumps and boils will become chronic and may not heal for years. In very rare cases, this fungal infection can spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones, joints, lungs, and brain. This is more common among those who have a weakened immune system and makes it difficult to treat and can be life-threatening.

Types of spore fungal infections

• Skin infections
• Infections of bones and joints.
• Infections of the lungs
• Infections of the brain

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Tips of treating and looking after a sporo cat

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Treatment for spore fungal infections

Treatment of sporotrichosis depends on the body parts that are infected. For skin infections, this sporotrichosis infection will be treated with a solution of potassium iodide. The drug is given 3 times a day for 3 to 6 months until all wounds are gone and can also be treated with itraconazole sporanox for up to 6 months.

• Infections of the bones and joints.

This infection is much more difficult to treat and rarely respond to potassium iodide. Therefore, itraconazole is often used as a drug in the early stages for several months or even up to 1 year. In addition, amphotericin is also used but this drug can only be given through an IV and has more side effects and may need to be given for months.

For chronic cases, surgery is sometimes required to remove the infected bone.

• Lung infections

It was treated with potassium iodide, itraconazole and amphotericin with varying amounts of success. Sometimes the infected area of ​​the lung has to be removed.

• Infections of the brain.

This case is rare but amphotericin plus 5-fluorocytosine information is generally recommended but itraconazole may also be tried.

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But before that please seeking a doctor for this drug. It is available in pharmacies but should also be under the supervision of a physician. For itraconazole has several types if you want to give the medicine, you have to look based on your cat severe illness and weight. This medicine has a strong effect and is not suitable for any cats and it depends.

Some of the medications that will affect cats like liver disease, there are types of drugs that are strong and require taking other additional drugs other than drugs for sporo diseases such as vitamin supplements and drugs to protect the liver.

Usually, this disease takes 3 - 6 months to heal and 1 year to exactly completely heal. If you are giving the medicine for the first month already seeing the change it means the medicine is effective and suitable for your cat otherwise there is no other way to treat it.

But before that please consult a doctor to find out more and to get a more thorough decision about this disease.

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What prevention can be taken?

Veterinarians, animal keepers or cat keepers should always be careful when dealing with cats or animals that are infected with this fungus. Especially animals that look sick or have obvious wounds. This is because an individual can get sporotrichosis from an infected pet even if they do not scratch or bite you. Some individuals can get sporotrichosis after touching an infected cat and then touching their eyes. We should always be alert to animals and approach them with caution even if the animal may seem friendly. Limit your close contact between your infected pet cat or wild animals. Especially the ones that look clearly sick.

For cats or animals that have been affected by this disease. Please isolate them not to mix with your other pets as the disease is very easy to contagious even to humans and please wearing your gloves if want to treat them and wash hand after that. They need to be locked up in cages and should not release until they are healthy.

All we have to do is clean their cages once every two weeks. How to wash the cage is by washing using chlorox detergent after that leave for a few minutes and wash again with regular washing soap and rinse. Do not let other animals share the cages or enter the cage before clean it.

If your or your own cat has sporo symptoms, get help by contacting the appropriate pet veterinary for further examination. You can go for health screening at the selected clinic as below.

 Top 10 pet veterinarian that treat sporothrix disease with the price range for treatments 

You may also find the best Vet Clinic nearby you by check out this link: https://www.lookp.com/malaysia/veterinarian