EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF SPOROTRICHOSIS AND HISTOPLASMOSIS IN CAPTIVE LATIN-AMERICAN WILD MAMMALS, SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

Sporotrichosis and histoplasmosis are deep mycosis with a high inciden ce in human beings in Brazil. In domestic animals histoplasmosis has b een described only in dogs, but the occurence of sporotrichosis among domestic animals in Brazil has been described in dogs, cats, mules and asses. There is also a case of this disease reported in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodites). The purpose of this research was to perform an epid omiological study of these mycoses using delayed hypersensitivity test s (histoplasmin and sporotrichin) in Latin American wild mammals. This research was assayed using 96 healthy animals at Parque Zoologico de Sao Paulo, Brazil: Primates: 33 Cebus apella - weeping-capuchin and 16 Callithrix jacchus - marmoset; Procyonidae: 37 Nasua nasua - coatimun di and 10 Felidae (Panthera onca - jaguar; Felis pardalis - ocelot Fel is wiedii - margay; Felis tigrina - wild cat). For intradermic tests, the following antigens were used: Sporothrix schenkii cell suspension (sporotrichin, histoplasmin-filtrate), Histoplasma capsulatum cell sus pension (histoplasmin), and Histoplasma capsulatum (polysaccharide). T he positivity to histoplasmin was 44.79% (Cebidae 15.15%; Callithricid ae 6.25%; Procyonidae 86.49% and Felidae 50.00%, respectively). With r espect to sporotrichin, 30.21% (Cebidae 6.06%, Callithricidae 0.0%; Pr ocyonidae 64.86% and Felidae 30.00% respectively). The pattern of infe ction is similar to that shown by human beings and this may suggest th at these animals could be involved in the epidemiologic chain of sporo trichosis and histoplasmosis, the second most prevalent human deep myc oses in Brazil. It is important to point out the absence of similar st udies in Latin American wild animals.