Publications

Current Fact Sheets

Sporotrichosis

• Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection that usually affects the skin. It is mainly an occupational disease of farmers, gardeners, and horticulturists.
• The fungus that carries sporotrichosis is found in the soil and in sphagnum moss, hay, and other plant materials.
• The fungus enters the skin through small cuts or punctures from thorns, barbs, pine needles, or wires.
• Sporotrichosis is usually treatable with fungus-killing medicine.
• To prevent sporotrichosis: 1) wear gloves and long sleeves when handling wires, rose bushes, hay bales, pine seedlings, or other materials that can prick the skin; and 2) avoid skin contact with sphagnum moss.

What is sporotrichosis?

Sporotrichosis is an infection that usually affects the skin.

What is the infectious agent that causes sporotrichosis?

Sporotrichosis is caused by Sporothrix schenckii, a fungus.

Where is sporotrichosis found?

Sporotrichosis has been reported from all parts of the world. The fungus that carries sporotrichosis is found in the soil and in sphagnum moss, hay, and other plant materials.

How do people get sporotrichosis?

The fungus enters the skin through small cuts or punctures from thorns, barbs, pine needles, or wires.

What are the signs and symptoms of sporotrichosis?

The first symptom is usually a small painless bump that looks like an insect bite. It can be red, pink, or purple. The bump usually appears on the finger, hand, or arm where the fungus first entered through a break in the skin. This is followed by one or more additional bumps that open, might look like boils, and are very slow to heal.

Most infections are limited to the skin. Cases of joint, lung, and central nervous system infection have occurred but are very rare.

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?

The first skin bump can appear any time from 1 to 12 weeks after exposure to the fungus, but usually within 3 weeks.

How is sporotrichosis diagnosed?

Diagnosis is by laboratory culture of a specimen from a freshly opened skin sore.

Who is at risk for sporotrichosis?

Sporotrichosis is mainly an occupational disease of farmers, gardeners, and horticulturists. Persons who handle thorny plants, sphagnum moss, or baled hay are at increased risk. Outbreaks have occurred in nursery workers who handled sphagnum moss, rose gardeners, children playing on baled hay, and greenhouse workers who handled bayberry thorns contaminated by the fungus. A number of cases have recently occurred in nursery workers, especially workers who handled sphagnum moss topiaries.

What is the treatment for sporotrichosis?

Until recently, sporotrichosis was usually treated with potassium iodide, taken by mouth in droplet form. A new drug, itraconazole (Sporanox), is now the first choice for treatment because it causes fewer side effects than potassium iodide. Treatment often takes several weeks, until the skin sores are completely healed.

How can sporotrichosis be prevented?

• Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling wires, rose bushes, hay bales, pine seedlings, or other materials that can prick the skin.
• Avoid skin contact with sphagnum moss. Moss has been implicated as a source of the fungus in a number of outbreaks.

This fact sheet is for information only and is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health-care provider. If you have questions about the disease described above, consult a health-care provider.

Return to Infectious Facts Index

Return to DHPE Main Page