03 March 2023 , 13:44
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A disease originally discovered in South America has made its way into the UK for the first time.
Three people found themselves severely ill with the cat-transmitted infection.
The rare skin blistering illness is transmitted through cats - leading to fungal infections, wounds, and ulcers on different parts of the body.
Government health chiefs said the fungal infection made its way from a cat adopted from Brazil - where the disease was believed to be rampant.
All three tested positive for sporotrichosis brasiliensis; just one type of the fungus.
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The three victims - a mother, a daughter and a male vet - were reportedly scratched by the same cat.
A mother, a daughter and a male vet were all scratched by the cat, originally from Brazil (Medical Mycology Case Reports)After receiving medical attention, all three patients made a full recovery.
The infection is usually mild, but starts by causing lesions on the body parts exposed to the fungus.
After a while, it starts to affect the eyes, lungs and bones, and joints.
In rarer cases, it could also affect the central nervous system.
Fungal infections are becoming a major threat to public health, according to the World Health Organization, and they're brought on by the ever-changing climate.
All victims were left with wounds that would not heal for a long period of time (Medical Mycology Case Reports)UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) scientists documented the British cases in the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports.
A 63-year-old mother, originally from south-eastern Brazil, had visited her GP over wounds on her hand, after being scratched by her cat.
Her daughter, 30, was also infected after discovering an ulcer on her middle finger that would not heal for over eight weeks.
The mother and daughter were given six months of itraconazole; a medication used to treat fungal infections.
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The vet for their cat had also been infected after being scratched while examining the pet.
Four weeks later, he developed an ulcer on his middle finger and lesions tracking up his arm.
The cat who caused the fungal infection has since died. (Medical Mycology Case Reports)He was also prescribed itraconazole for three months to heal his infection.
Scientists claimed a nine-year-old male long-haired domestic cat, who had been rescued by the family in South-Eastern Brazil, was likely responsible for the human cases.
The cat had sadly since died.
The disease continues to spread across South America, including Argentina and Paraguay.
As most cases of the disease only involve the skin, the US Centers for Disease Control said it's mainly treated with prescription antifungal medicine which should be taken for several months.
However, in severe cases, people with sporotrichosis in the lungs may need surgery to remove the damaged tissue.