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'''For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Sporotrichosis|here]]'''
'''For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Sporotrichosis|here]]'''


{{CMG}}
{{CMG}}; {{AE}} {{AJL}}


==Overview==
==Overview==
Sporotrichosis is a long-term (chronic) skin infection that is caused by a fungus called ''Sporothrix schenckii''


==What are the symptoms of Sporotrichosis?==
==What are the symptoms of Sporotrichosis?==
The time between the tick bite and when symptoms occur is about 7 - 9 days. This is called the incubation period.
Symptoms include a small, painless, red lump that develops at the site of infection. As time passes, this lump will turn into an ulcer (sore). The lump may develop up to 3 months after an injury.


Symptoms may seem like the [[flu]] ([[influenza]]), and may include:
Most lesions are on the hands and forearms, because these areas are commonly injured when handling plants. In children, lesions may be more likely to manifest on the face.


* [[Chills]]
The fungus may follow the channels in your body's lymphatic system. Small ulcers appear as lines on the skin as the infection moves up an arm or leg. These sores do not heal unless they are treated, and they may last for years. The sores may sometimes drain small amounts of pus.
* [[Fever]]
* [[Headache]]
* [[Muscle aches]]
* [[Nausea]]


Other possible symptoms:
Body-wide (systemic) sporotrichosis can cause lung and breathing problems, bone infection, arthritis, and infection of the nervous system.
 
* [[Diarrhea]]
* Fine pinhead-sized areas of bleeding in the skin ([[petechial rash]])
* Flat red rash (maculopapular rash)
* General ill feeling ([[malaise]])
 
A [[rash]] appears in fewer than half of cases.  Sometimes, the disease may be mistaken for [[Rocky Mountain spotted fever]].  The symptoms are often quite general, but patients are sometimes sick enough to see a doctor.


==What causes Sporotrichosis?==
==What causes Sporotrichosis?==
Sporotrichosis is caused by bacteria that belong to the family called [[Rickettsiae]].  Rickettsial bacteria cause a number of serious diseases worldwide, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and typhus.  All of these diseases are spread to humans by a tick, [[flea]], or mite bite.
''Sporothrix schenckii'' is found in plants. Infection commonly occurs when the skin is broken while handling plant materials such as rosebushes, briars, or dirt that contains a lot of mulch.


Scientists first described Sporotrichosis in 1990, and have identified two types in the United States:
Sporotrichosis can be a job-related disease for people who work with plants, such as farmers, horticulturists, rose gardeners, and plant nursery workers. Widespread (disseminated) sporotrichosis can develop in people with a weakened immune system when they inhale dust filled with spores of the fungus.


* Human monocytic Sporotrichosis (HME) is caused by the rickettsial bacteria called Ehrlichia chaffeensis.
==Who is at highest risk?==
* Human granulocytic Sporotrichosis (HGE) is also called human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA).  It is caused by the rickettsial bacteria called Anaplasma phagocytophilum (once called Ehrlichia equi or Ehrlichia phagocytophila).


Ehrlichia bacteria can be carried by the Lone Star tick, the American dog tick, and the deer tick, which can also cause [[Lyme disease]].
People who handle thorny plants, sphagnum moss, or bales of hay are at increased risk of getting sporotrichosis. The infection is more common among people with weakened immune systems, but it can also occur in otherwise healthy people. Outbreaks have occurred among florists, plant nursery workers who have handled sphagnum moss, rose gardeners, children who have played on bales of hay, and greenhouse workers who have handled thorns contaminated by the fungus.


In the United States, HME is found mainly in the southern central states and the Southeast.  HGE is found mainly in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
==Diagnosis==


==Who is at highest risk?==
Sporotrichosis is typically diagnosed when your doctor obtains a swab or a biopsy of the infected site and sends the sample to a laboratory for a fungal culture. Serological tests are not always useful in the diagnosis of sporotrichosis due to limitations in sensitivity and specificity.
Risk factors for Sporotrichosis include:


* Living near an area with a lot of ticks
==Treatment options==
* Owning a pet that may bring a tick home
The skin infection is usually treated with an antifungal medicine called itraconazole. It is taken by mouth and continued for 2 to 4 weeks after the skin sores have cleared. You may have to take the medicine for 3 to 6 months. A medicine called terbinafine may be used instead of itraconazole.
* Walking or playing in high grasses


==Diagnosis==
Infections that have spread or affect the entire body are often treated with amphotericin B, or sometimes itraconazole. Therapy for body-wide (systemic) disease can last up to 12 months.
The doctor will do a physical exam and check your vital signs, including:
==Where to find medical care for Sporotrichosis?==


* Blood pressure
Make an appointment with your health care provider if you develop persistent skin lumps or skin ulcers. Tell your health care provider if have been working with plants or plant based materials, particularly thorny plants, such as roses.
* Heart rate
* Temperature


Other tests include:
==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?==


* Complete blood count (CBC)
With treatment, full recovery is likely. Disseminated sporotrichosis is more difficult to treat and requires several months of therapy. Disseminated sporotrichosis can be life-threatening for people with a weakened immune system.
* Granulocyte stain
* Fluorescent antibody test


==When to seek urgent medical care?==
==Possible complications==
Call your health care provider if you become sick after a recent tick bite or if you've been in areas where ticks are common.  Be sure to tell your doctor about the tick exposure.


==Treatment options==
People with a normal immune system may have:
Antibiotics ([[tetracycline]] or [[doxycycline]]) are used to treat the disease.  Young children should not take tetracycline by mouth until after all their permanent teeth have grown in, because it can permanently discolor growing teeth.  Doxycycline used for 2 weeks or less typically does not cause discoloration of a child's permanent teeth.


==Where to find medical care for Sporotrichosis?==
* [[Discomfort]]
[http://maps.google.com/maps?q={{urlencode:{{#if:{{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|map+top+hospital+Sporotrichosis}}}}&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl Directions to Hospitals Treating Sporotrichosis]
* Secondary skin infections (such as staph or strep)


==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?==
People with a weakened immune system may develop:
Sporotrichosis is rarely deadly.  With antibiotics, patients usually improve within 24 - 48 hours.  Recovery takes 3 weeks.


==Possible complications==
* [[Arthritis]]
* [[Coma]]
* Bone infection
* [[Death]] (rare)
* Complications from medications -- [[amphotericin B]] can have serious side effects
* [[Kidney damage]]
* Lung and breathing problems (such as [[pneumonia]])
* [[Lung damage]]
* [[Meningitis]]
* Other organ damage
* Widespread (disseminated) disease
* [[Seizure]]


==Prevention of Sporotrichosis==
==Prevention of Sporotrichosis==
Sporotrichosis is spread by tick bites.  Preventing tick bites will prevent this, and other, tick-borne diseases.  Common measures to prevent tick bites include:


* Avoiding dense brush and long grasses when hiking
People with a weakened immune system should try to reduce risk of skin injury. Wearing thick gloves while gardening can help.
* Checking yourself for ticks and removing any that you find after being outside
* Not standing under trees or bushes
* Using insect repellent
* Wearing clothing to cover skin


Studies suggest that a tick must be attached to your body for at least 24 hours in order to cause disease, so early removal will prevent infection. If you are bitten by a tick, write down the date and time the bite happened, and bring this information, along with the tick (if possible), to your doctor if you become sick.
==Sources==
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001338.htm


==Sources==
http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/sporotrichosis/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001381.htm


[[Category:Patient information]]
[[Category:Patient information]]

Latest revision as of 20:36, 27 January 2016

Sporotrichosis

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Sporotrichosis?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Sporotrichosis On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Sporotrichosis

Videos on Sporotrichosis

FDA on Sporotrichosis

CDC on Sporotrichosis

Sporotrichosis in the news

Blogs on Sporotrichosis

Directions to Hospitals Treating Sporotrichosis

Risk calculators and risk factors for Sporotrichosis

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alison Leibowitz [2]

Overview

Sporotrichosis is a long-term (chronic) skin infection that is caused by a fungus called Sporothrix schenckii

What are the symptoms of Sporotrichosis?

Symptoms include a small, painless, red lump that develops at the site of infection. As time passes, this lump will turn into an ulcer (sore). The lump may develop up to 3 months after an injury.

Most lesions are on the hands and forearms, because these areas are commonly injured when handling plants. In children, lesions may be more likely to manifest on the face.

The fungus may follow the channels in your body's lymphatic system. Small ulcers appear as lines on the skin as the infection moves up an arm or leg. These sores do not heal unless they are treated, and they may last for years. The sores may sometimes drain small amounts of pus.

Body-wide (systemic) sporotrichosis can cause lung and breathing problems, bone infection, arthritis, and infection of the nervous system.

What causes Sporotrichosis?

Sporothrix schenckii is found in plants. Infection commonly occurs when the skin is broken while handling plant materials such as rosebushes, briars, or dirt that contains a lot of mulch.

Sporotrichosis can be a job-related disease for people who work with plants, such as farmers, horticulturists, rose gardeners, and plant nursery workers. Widespread (disseminated) sporotrichosis can develop in people with a weakened immune system when they inhale dust filled with spores of the fungus.

Who is at highest risk?

People who handle thorny plants, sphagnum moss, or bales of hay are at increased risk of getting sporotrichosis. The infection is more common among people with weakened immune systems, but it can also occur in otherwise healthy people. Outbreaks have occurred among florists, plant nursery workers who have handled sphagnum moss, rose gardeners, children who have played on bales of hay, and greenhouse workers who have handled thorns contaminated by the fungus.

Diagnosis

Sporotrichosis is typically diagnosed when your doctor obtains a swab or a biopsy of the infected site and sends the sample to a laboratory for a fungal culture. Serological tests are not always useful in the diagnosis of sporotrichosis due to limitations in sensitivity and specificity.

Treatment options

The skin infection is usually treated with an antifungal medicine called itraconazole. It is taken by mouth and continued for 2 to 4 weeks after the skin sores have cleared. You may have to take the medicine for 3 to 6 months. A medicine called terbinafine may be used instead of itraconazole.

Infections that have spread or affect the entire body are often treated with amphotericin B, or sometimes itraconazole. Therapy for body-wide (systemic) disease can last up to 12 months.

Where to find medical care for Sporotrichosis?

Make an appointment with your health care provider if you develop persistent skin lumps or skin ulcers. Tell your health care provider if have been working with plants or plant based materials, particularly thorny plants, such as roses.

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

With treatment, full recovery is likely. Disseminated sporotrichosis is more difficult to treat and requires several months of therapy. Disseminated sporotrichosis can be life-threatening for people with a weakened immune system.

Possible complications

People with a normal immune system may have:

  • Discomfort
  • Secondary skin infections (such as staph or strep)

People with a weakened immune system may develop:

Prevention of Sporotrichosis

People with a weakened immune system should try to reduce risk of skin injury. Wearing thick gloves while gardening can help.

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001338.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/sporotrichosis/

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