Epidemiological Features and Geographical Expansion of Sporotrichosis in the State of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Aim: Cases of sporotrichosis are emerging in several states of Brazil, especially in the southeast. Recently, sporotrichosis has been reported in the state of Pernambuco in the northeastern region. The goal of this study was to shed new light on sporotrichosis in terms of the geographic distribution of human cases and provide an overview of sporotrichosis associated with zoonotic transmission. Patients & methods: From March 2017 to November 2019, 179 patients were diagnosed with sporotrichosis. Georeferencing analysis, spatial distribution and epidemiological features of all cases are described. Results: The data show the dynamics of accelerated transmission of sporotrichosis across urban and coastal areas of the state of Pernambuco. Conclusion: There is a need to decentralize health services and implement a One Health approach to this emerging disease.

Keywords::

• epidemiology
• georeferencing
• socioeconomic conditions
• Sporothrix

Author contributions

CE Silva: The acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; final approval of the version to be published. Accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. CA Tibúrcio Valeriano: The acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; final approval of the version to be published. CE Ferraz: The acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. R Pereira Neves: Drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published. MM Evangelista Oliveira: Substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work; drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published. JC Alves de Lima e Silva: Substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work; drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published. V Magalhães: Drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published R Gonçalves de Lima Neto: Substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work; drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published. Accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Dermatological Service from the Hospital of Clinics at the Federal University of Pernambuco, the reference health service in sporotrichosis in the state of Pernambuco, for providing the patient data.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This research was partially funded by the Fundação de Amparo a Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco – FACEPE (grant APQ-0295-2.12/20). R Gonçalves de Lima-Neto is a fellow researcher by the CNPq/MCTI/Brazil (grant 310822/2018-1). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval from the Committee of Ethics in Research for all human experimental investigations. In addition, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved. All patients agreed to sign an informed consent after the dermatologist doctor had explained the research objectives to them.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partially funded by the Fundação de Amparo a Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco – FACEPE (grant APQ-0295-2.12/20). R Gonçalves de Lima-Neto is a fellow researcher by the CNPq/MCTI/Brazil (grant 310822/2018-1). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.