Sporotrichosis is a subacute or chronic subcutaneous mycosis caused by several species of the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix, including S. schenckii, S. globosa, S. mexicana, and S. brasiliensis, that inhabit plant materials and soil [1][2][4][3]. The infection is initiated when the fungus is introduced through breaks in the skin, invading deeper layers of subcutaneous tissue and, less frequently, producing extracutaneous disease involving the osteoarticular system, lungs, eyes, or central nervous system [1][4][3]. It is regarded as the most important implantation mycosis worldwide, with both sapronotic and zoonotic transmission cycles [2].
Disease overview
Fungal Evidence-backed information EN 5/7 applicable sections · ZH 5/7 applicable sections Updated Oct 23, 2026
Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous implantation mycosis caused by dimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix, most commonly acquired through traumatic inoculation of contaminated plant material or through zoonotic transmission from infected cats [1][2][3]. The disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions and has emerged as a major cat-associated epidemic spreading through Brazil and adjacent South American countries [1][2][3]. Although classically restricted to cutaneous and lymphatic forms, the infection can disseminate to osteoarticular, pulmonary, ocular, and central nervous system sites, and it carries social stigma alongside its medical burden [1][2][4].
Read the full clinical and epidemiological profile 6
The classic clinical presentation involves painful cutaneous lesions that develop at the inoculation site and often spread along adjacent lymphatic vessels, producing a characteristic nodular lymphangitis [1][3]. Lesions can be unsightly and socially stigmatizing, and infections may be accompanied by systemic involvement in animals, particularly cats infected with S. brasiliensis [1][5][3]. Although most human disease remains confined to skin, subcutaneous tissue, and lymphatic vessels, extracutaneous forms such as ocular, osteoarticular, pulmonary, and central nervous system sporotrichosis have been increasingly reported, often from hyperendemic regions [4][3].
Sporotrichosis occurs sporadically in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide, with the highest case counts in Central and South America (especially Brazil), the southern United States, Africa, China, and Southeast Asia [1]. Localized areas of hyperendemicity have been described in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa, where mining-associated outbreaks linked to contaminated wooden pit props have been documented [1]. Since the late 1990s, a large and progressive cat-transmitted epidemic caused by S. brasiliensis has spread from Rio de Janeiro through Brazil and into adjacent South American countries, with molecular epidemiology indicating founder-effect-driven spread, while S. globosa and S. schenckii continue to cause major sapronoses in Asia and the Americas, respectively [1][2][3]. Outbreaks have also been associated with flooding events in China, illustrating the influence of environmental exposures on disease occurrence [1][2].
Human infection is acquired almost exclusively through traumatic inoculation of the fungus into the skin via contact with contaminated plant debris, soil, or organic matter, which represents the classical sapronotic route [1][3]. A second, zoonotic route has become prominent, in which scratches, bites, or contact with exudate from infected cats transmit S. brasiliensis, with feline outbreaks now serving as a major source of human cases [1][2][3]. Leisure and occupational activities that handle vegetation or wood—such as floriculture, agriculture, mining, and wood exploitation—are traditionally associated with the sapronotic form [3].
A Brazilian guideline for the management of feline sporotrichosis provides information on clinical-epidemiological aspects of this zoonosis and practical guidance helpful for the prevention and control of S. brasiliensis transmission [5].
- 1 World Health Organization. Sporotrichosis [Internet]. cited 4 Sept 2026. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sporotrichosis
- 2 Rodrigues AM et al. Current Progress on Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Sporotrichosis and Their Future Trends. J Fungi (Basel). 2022 Jul 26. PMID: 35893145. doi: 10.3390/jof8080776. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35893145/
- 3 Barros MB et al. Sporothrix schenckii and Sporotrichosis. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2011 Oct. PMID: 21976602. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00007-11. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21976602/
- 4 Ramírez-Soto MC et al. Ocular Sporotrichosis. J Fungi (Basel). 2021 Nov 10. PMID: 34829238. doi: 10.3390/jof7110951. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34829238/
- 5 Gremião IDF et al. Guideline for the management of feline sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis and literature revision. Braz J Microbiol. 2021 Mar. PMID: 32990922. doi: 10.1007/s42770-020-00365-3. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32990922/
- B42
Loading current data…
Country surveillance trends
Choose a country, source, and measure. Each line retains its published reporting period and definition.
Loading data…
Coverage
Reporting countries and regions
The map shows reporting coverage. Select a measure or open a shaded location to inspect its data.
Loading current data…
Surveillance pattern
Year × month seasonality by country
Review one country’s published monthly values by year. Empty cells indicate values the source did not publish.
Research Radar
Recent related research
Severe Multifocal Cutaneous Sporotrichosis Caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis in People Living with HIV in Southern Brazil: Cases and Review
Pathogens
Genome variation of Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Territorial heterogeneity of feline sporotrichosis in an urban endemic setting in southern Brazil during a major flood period
Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Emergence of zoonotic sporotrichosis in Brazil: a genomic epidemiology study
The Lancet Microbe
Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of the endemic mycoses: an initiative of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology in cooperation with the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology
The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Showing 5 of 8 related publications.
Literature links are provided for discovery and do not alter or validate the surveillance series above.
Loading official alerts…
Downloads and methods
Choose a time range and download CSV, JSON or XLSX files.