Human Pythiosis, Brazil

Sandra De Moraes Gimenes Bosco,Eduardo Bagagli,João Manuel Grisi Candeias,Marcello Fabiano De Franco,Rosangela Pires De Camargo,João Pessoa Araújo,Mariangela Esther Alencar Marques,Silvio Alencar Marques,Leonel Mendoza

doi:10.3201/eid1105.040943

Abstract

Pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, occurs in humans and animals and is acquired from aquatic environments that harbor the emerging pathogen. Diagnosis is difficult because clinical and histopathologic features are not pathognomonic. We report the first human case of pythiosis from Brazil, diagnosed by using culture and rDNA sequencing.

Highlights

Pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, occurs in humans and animals and is acquired from aquatic environments that harbor the emerging pathogen
This article reports the first case of human pythiosis in continental Latin America in a patient from Brazil, and diagnosis was confirmed by molecular taxonomy
A biopsy of the lesion showed a suppurative granulomatous inflammation associated with several nonseptated hyphae, a finding that led to the diagnosis of zygomycosis

Summary

Introduction

Pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, occurs in humans and animals and is acquired from aquatic environments that harbor the emerging pathogen. Pythiosis is a cutaneous-subcutaneous disease of human and animals that occurs primarily in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Human pythiosis may appear in a cutaneous-subcutaneous form with lesions on the limbs, periorbital and facial areas, and corneal ulcers.

Results

Conclusion