Sporotrichosis
Sporotrichosis (also known as “rose gardener’s disease”) is an infection caused by a fungus called Sporothrix.
This fungus lives throughout the world in soil and on plant matter such as sphagnum moss, rose bushes, and hay and has also been caused by scratches or bites from animals, particularly cats.
Types of sporotrichosis
- Cutaneous (skin) sporotrichosis is the most common form of the infection. It usually occurs on a person’s hand or the arm after touching contaminated plant matter.
- Pulmonary (lung) sporotrichosis is rare but can happen after someone breathes in fungal spores from the environment.
- Disseminated sporotrichosis occurs when the infection spreads to another part of the body, such as bones, joints, or central nervous system
The first symptom of cutaneous (skin) sporotrichosis:
- small, painless bump that can develop any time from 1 to 12 weeks after exposure to the fungus.
- The bump can be red, pink, or purple, and usually appears on the finger, hand, or arm where the fungus has entered through a break in the skin.
- The bump will eventually grow larger and may look like an open sore or ulcer that is very slow to heal.
- Additional bumps or sores may appear later near the original one.