Via @vet.only on instagram This feline was rescued from a neighborhood in Brazil and was taken to the Veterinary Service. Injuries are observed throughout the body as well as respiratory distress. After performing cytology exams, Sporotrichosis was diagnosed, which is a fungal disease caused by a fungus of the species Sporothrix spp. This fungus lives in nature and is found in the soil, straw, vegetables, thorns, wood. Transmission can occur through contact with secretions. There infections are non life-threatening, but must ve treated with prescription antifungal medicine for several months. The most common treatment for this type of sporotrichosis is itraconazole, taken by mouth for 3 to 6 months. Supersaturated potassium iodide (SSKI) is another treatment option for skin sporotrichosis. If there's serve sporotrichosis that affects lungs, bones, joints or CNS, you'll probably recive intravenous amphotericin B medicine, which is given through the vein. After the first treatment with amphotericin B, you may recive itraconazole by mouth, for a total of at least 1 year of antifungal treatment. People with sporotrichosis in the lungs may also need surgery to cut away the infected tissue. Prognosis is good, though it is slow in skin-limited lesions. But the prognosis is not very good if the nervous or respiratory system is affected. Cats with sporotrichosis often have lesions on their faces, often around the nose. These lesions develop from wounds that occur during fights with an infected cat. Cats licking infected wounds on other parts of their bodies can also transfer the fungi to their faces and mouths. Sporotrichosis infections are often difficult to treat with antifungal medication. The main treatment is itraconazole, given by mouth at 8.3 to 27.7 mg/kg/day every 24 hours until signs and symptoms disappear. However, treatment takes many months, the infections often fail to respond to treatment, and side effects are common. Prevention Veterinarians, animal caretakers, and the public should be careful when handling cats in Brazil and neighboring countries, especially those that appear sick or have obvious lesions. People can get sporotrichosis from infected cats even if the cat does not scratch or bite them. Some people have gotten sporotrichosis after touching an infected cat and then touching their eyes. Be cautious with unfamiliar animals and approach cats with care, even if they appear friendly. Limit contact between domestic and feral cats, especially those that appear sick.