Rare Disease Spread by Cats Discovered in UK

In the UK, a rare infectious disease found in cats has been discovered for the first time. Up to three British citizens may be affected by the fungal infection, which has only previously been discovered in South America and causes skin blisters in humans.

It is unknown who the three Sporotrichosis victims were, but a mother, her daughter, and a veterinarian are all thought to have been scratched by an infected cat. According to a report, they all have wounds and ulcers on their hands, wrists, and arms.

Due to its effects on the skin, lungs, bones, and joints, sporotrichosis has been referred to as rose handler’s disease. Although it can be widespread, the majority of the time only the skin or the tissues beneath the skin are affected.

It is understood that the mother, who is 63 years old and originally hails from south-eastern Brazil, has not travelled back to Brazil in the past three years. The mother developed three-week-long wounds on her hand and swollen lymph nodes after her cat scratched her while she was feeding it.

The woman’s daughter left Brazil for the United Kingdom as well. Additionally, she was scratched by the cat, resulting in an eight-week-long middle finger ulcer. They were referred to their neighbourhood infectious diseases clinic, where they received a six-month course of itraconazole, a medication for fungal infections.

A male veterinarian was also scratched by the infected cat while they were at an appointment, and four weeks later, he also had lesions on his arm and an ulcer on his middle finger.

A biopsy revealed that the vet also had a fungal infection, and he was given itraconazole for three months. All three victims have recovered completely after receiving treatment, but the infected cat has passed away.