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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is monitoring a fungal infection (Sporothrix brasiliensis) in Brazil and nearby countries that is being spread by cats to people. The infections in cats are known as “clown nose” because of the swollen, infected nasal mucosa seen in affected cats. It’s usually fatal in cats.
“Sporothrix schenckii is found throughout the world, including the U.S.,” says the report. “It causes ‘rose gardener’s disease,’ a rare infection mostly linked to cuts and scrapes that are exposed to soil and plants. It can cause slow-healing lesions and, less often, respiratory infections or generalized infections with joint pain, headache, or seizures,” says the AVMA.n
