Sporotrichosis, also known as rose handler or gardener’s disease, is a fungal infection that can affect humans as well as animals. Mostly contracted in nature, sporotrichosis typically isn’t fatal to those it infects, but it can cause unwanted symptoms and side effects. Sporotrichosis can also lead to serious complications that impact the joints, head, and other parts of the body, depending on where the infection takes place.
Sporotrichosis is known as rose handler’s disease because the fungus that causes the disease is most commonly found on flowers, roses, plants, hay, and soil. While the condition can manifest in different ways depending on the part of the body being impacted, it most commonly manifests as a skin infection. While sporotrichosis is treatable in all stages of the disease, the sooner treatment is started, the fewer symptoms and side effects you’ll experience.
Because the most common way to contract sporotrichosis is by letting the fungus enter your body through a break in the skin, the most obvious symptom you’ll experience is a pus-filled bump or lump similar to a large pimple. In most cases, these bumps will form a line along the skin and grow increasingly larger. As the condition progresses, these bumps will also change colour and start to ooze.
In serious cases, the infection can spread to the brain, lungs, and other parts of the body. If this happens, your symptoms could include fevers, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, and pain or weakness in the joints and muscles. However, pus-filled sores are the most common symptom of sporotrichosis.
Like most fungal infections, sporotrichosis is an infectious disease that occurs when a certain fungus – Sporothrix – enters your body. Sporothrix is mostly found in nature on plants, flowers, soil, hay, moss, and twigs. However, it’s also found on mouldy bread and stale brewers yeast, but these sources are far less common. Unlike most fungal infections, Sporotrichosis can also be transferred from an infected animal to a human, but this is extremely rare.
Because of where and how Sporotrichosis is contracted, certain people are at higher risk of developing it than others.
In most cases, Sporothrix enters the body through a cut or break in the skin. However, it’s also possible to inhale the mould spores, but this is far less common.
Because of how it manifests, sporotrichosis is fairly easy for doctors to diagnose. First, they’ll examine your physical symptoms to check for pus-filled sores. Next, they’ll take a sample of one of the sores and send it to a lab for testing. In some instances, they may also need to take blood samples for testing if the biopsy is inconclusive.
If you suspect you have sporotrichosis, you should seek medical attention for a diagnosis and treatment. Otherwise, the condition will progress and start impacting other parts of the body.
Although painful and unsightly, sporotrichosis is rarely fatal. However, treatment is necessary to ensure the infection doesn’t spread and to take care of the pus-filled sores. In most cases, antibacterial medications are more than enough to cure sporotrichosis. You’ll have to take these medications for several months to completely eradicate all signs of the disease. In rare cases if the condition spreads, you may require surgery to remove or repair affected parts of the body.