Análise morfológica e termotolerância de isolados clínicos e do ambiente de Sporothrix schenckii do sul do Brasil

Sporothrix schenckii is the etiological agent of the sporotrichosis in animals and humans being this mycosis of greatimportance in public health. Due to clinical, epidemiological and molecular differences described in other studies, this studyevaluated phenotypic and thermotolerance characteristics of 36 S. schenckii isolates from clinical cases of feline, canine andhuman sporotrichosis, four environmental isolates and two reference strains. Forty-two S. schenckii isolates from five townsof the south region of the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil were utilized to phenotypic analyses, thermotolerance and conversion tothe yeast phase. Cultured isolates on lactrimel agar, Sabouraud dextrose agar added chloramphenicol and potato dextroseagar at 25 and 35oC showed differences in the colonies morphology and growth time (p=0,026) among reference strains and,clinical and environmental isolates. In the thermotolerance evaluation 26.2 % isolates were capable of growth at 41oC. Allisolates presented conversion to the yeast phase. Microscopic morphologies study showed statistical differences (p<0,01)among clinical isolates of felines and other species in relation to sessile pigmented and sympodial conidia. Our resultsdemonstrated morphological differences among S. schenckii clinical and environmental isolates of a same region and angreat probability of development of clinical forms disseminated and systemic by sporotrichosis feline isolates due tothermotolerance