A study carried out by Brazilian researchers identified the presence of pathogenic fungi of the genus Sporothrixresponsible for sporotrichosis, a disease frequently transmitted by scratches and bites from infected cats, in wild animals of the Atlantic Forest.
The discovery expands knowledge about the circulation of the microorganism in nature and suggests that wild species can also act as hosts for the fungus.
The initiative, which is part of a research project on the potential of wild animals as sentinels of zoonoses, has been led by the Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine at the State University of Londrina (UEL) since 2016. Researchers from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC-PR) and the University Medical Center of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, also participated. Fapesp helps finance the project.
The research, which was published in the scientific journal Mycopathologia, analyzed samples collected from 81 wild vertebrate animals run over on highways in Paraná between 2017 and 2023. Tissues from mammals, birds and reptiles found along highways were examined BR-376 and PR-445, in areas of the Atlantic Forest and transition regions between rural, urban and natural environments.
Scientists detected DNA from three pathogenic species of Sporothrix: Sporothrix brasiliensis, considered primarily responsible for outbreaks of zoonotic sporotrichosis in Brazil; Sporothrix schenckii; and Sporothrix globosa.
Among the 81 animals analyzed, 11 tested positive for the fungus. The samples were found in internal organs, such as the heart, liver, lungs and spleen, indicating that the microorganisms were circulating in the animals’ bodies.
One of the cases involved the southern wild cat, a species threatened with extinction. The researchers also identified the presence of the fungus in birds, a result that challenges the idea that the The high body temperature of these animals would act as a natural barrier against .
According to the authors, the results indicate that the circulation of Sporothrix may be wider than previously imagined. The discovery reinforces the importance of the approach known as which integrates human, animal and environmental health.
Every second, approximately 15 wild animals are killed on Brazilian roads, totaling around 1.3 million deaths daily and more than 475 million annually, which threatens biodiversity.
*Under the supervision of Ana Beatriz Dias, from CNN Brasil
