The fungus that causes sporotrichosis is typically transmitted among cats and results in serious lesions. Recently, it was found in the internal organs of wild animals. The study, supported by FAPESP, was published in March in the journal Mycopathologia .
Three species were detected, all of which are in the genus Sporothrix . One of these species, S. brasiliensis , is endemic to Brazil. In addition to S. brasiliensis , S. globosa and S. schenckii were found; the latter is predominant and has been found in mammals and birds.
The results suggest that wild animals may also serve as reservoirs for these fungi, which cause serious lesions in domestic animals and can infect humans, affecting the skin and potentially reaching the lymphatic system.
“It wasn’t possible to determine whether the fungi were in their pathogenic form in the wild animals, but it’s clear that they’re circulating more widely than we’d imagined, posing a potential risk to human and animal health,” explains Anderson Messias Rodrigues , a professor at the São Paulo School of Medicine of the Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP) in Brazil and coordinator of the study.
Rodrigues is coordinating the project “Molecular Epidemiology and Genomic Perspectives on the Evolution and Spread of Emerging Fungal Pathogens” , which is supported by FAPESP.
“We were unable to perform histopathology to confirm the infection, which may be done in future studies. However, we were able to detect the DNA of the fungus in internal tissues, such as the liver and heart, which is an indication that it’s circulating in the body. Moreover, we only evaluated anatomically intact organs that weren’t exposed to the environment, which could be a source of contamination,” says Steffanie Skau Amadei, a PhD candidate at McGill University in Canada and first author of the study.
The analyses were conducted during Amadei’s internship at the Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens at EPM-UNIFESP, which is coordinated by Rodrigues. The direct and accurate detection of genetic material was made possible by a previously developed and validated molecular assay , which was also supported by FAPESP. This assay allows for the rapid diagnosis and differentiation of the main emerging species of Sporothrix .
Analyses
The carcasses were collected within the first few hours after they were struck by vehicles on two highways in the Brazilian state of Paraná as part of a research project investigating the potential of wild animals as sentinels for zoonoses. Since 2016, the Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine at the State University of Londrina (UEL) has led the initiative. Researchers from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC-PR) and the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands also participated.
The animals were found between 2017 and 2023 along approximately 530 kilometers of BR-376, which is bordered by Atlantic Forest areas, and 150 kilometers of PR-445, which borders native areas of the Campos Gerais Region and rural properties. A total of 178 tissue samples from the heart, liver, lungs, and bladders of 81 animals were analyzed, including 39 mammals, 36 birds, and six reptiles.
DNA from pathogenic Sporothrix species was detected in 11 animals, representing the three sampled classes. The heart (six) and liver (five) were the tissues that tested positive for the fungus most frequently, suggesting primary infection or that the animals are reservoirs for the fungus and can carry it without necessarily developing disease.
S. schenckii was the most common species, found in eight samples from seven animals. The researchers found DNA from the fungal species in birds, mammals, and one reptile: the false coral snake ( Oxyrhopus spp . ). Among the mammals was an endangered species: the southern tigrina ( Leopardus guttulus ).
S. brasiliensis , which is responsible for most sporotrichosis cases in Brazil, was found in only two birds. S. globosa , the rarest species in the country, was detected in an agouti ( Dasyprocta spp.), birds, and the false coral snake. In two cases, the animals were infected with two fungal species simultaneously.
“There’s a prevailing view that birds are protected from pathogenic fungi simply because they have a high body temperature, up to 42 °C, which would make it impossible for fungi to survive. We saw in this study that pathogenic species do indeed tolerate high body temperatures,” says Amadei.
Additionally, transition zones between native, rural, and urban areas, where wild and domestic animals may have more contact, showed more cases of Sporothrix .
“We’re witnessing the emergence of Sporothrix in new hosts. The study opens the door to new research by showing that the reservoirs of the fungus extend far beyond domestic animals. Human pressure on the environment is blurring the boundaries between what’s rural, urban, and wild,” says Rodrigues.
The study also shows that analyzing roadkill can be an innovative, inexpensive tool for health surveillance, in line with the One Health principle. It is estimated that 1.3 million wild animals die from roadkill daily in Brazil – more than 475 million per year.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe
Mycopathologia
Molecular detection of medically relevant Sporothrix species in roadkilled wildlife in the Brazilian Atlantic forest
12-Mar-2026