10 April 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – The results of an investigation into a rare infection caused by fungus found in a Kansas veterinarian and two cats is being released Wednesday.
The Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) journal, affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published a report April 10 following an investigation into three cases of sporotrichosis in Kansas. This is an infection caused by the fungus sporothrix which can damage a person’s skin, lungs and, in some cases, bones, joints or the central nervous system. The fungus is present everywhere in the world in soil and on plant matter like moss, rose bushes and hay.
People can become infected by sporothrix through contact with fungal spores, usually after receiving a small cut or scrape, according to the CDC. The most common cases are for treatment of the skin on a person’s hands or arms.
The EID reports the first case of sporotrichosis was found in a pregnant 2-year-old cat in the fall of 2022. It was brought to a veterinary clinic in northwest Kansas with a lesion on its paw thought to be the result of a fight with another cat. The wound worsened despite treatment efforts, but the cat was able to give birth to two healthy kittens.
The owners of the cat made the decision to euthanize the cat as the infection grew worse, spreading to more parts of its body. During the cat’s treatment process, one of its claws punctured the glove of a veterinary technician at the clinic who began showing signs of infection.
The veterinary technician found a blister at the puncture site two weeks following the incident, according to the EID report. The blister ulcerated and samples from the wound were sent to the Nebraska Medical Center and CDC for identification. Photos released by the CDC of the technician’s right hand and arm show a large lesion on a finger with signs of inflammation running up the arm.
While the technician later recovered from the infection over the next eight months, a second cat from the same owners was brought in for examination in early 2023. This pet also showed signs of the fungal infection but was able to recover and be released.
The EID report says sporotrichosis is increasingly reported in Latin America due to exposure to infected cats with some recent cases identified in the United Kingdom as well. Cases of the fungal infection, while rare overall, have been found in the U.S. in the past. How the Kansas cats became infected with sporotrichosis is not well understood.
“This report was limited by a lack of detailed exposure information for how the cats acquired sporotrichosis. Nevertheless, keeping cats indoors is recommended to prevent environmental acquisition of sporotrichosis.”
EID report excerpt
Sporotrichosis is also sometimes referred to as “rose gardener’s disease,” according to the CDC. People might become infected after receiving a cut or scrape while interacting with plants outside. Symptoms of infection usually include small bumps that develop 1-12 weeks after initial exposure. These bumps may appear red, pink or purple and grow larger until they develop into an open sore or ulcer which is slow to heal.
You can limit possible exposure to sporotrichosis by wearing gloves and long sleeves when touching plants that might cause minor cuts or scrapes. To learn more about sporotrichosis, go to the CDC’s website.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf