Sporotrichosis, also known as rose handler's disease,[2] is a fungal infection that may be localised to skin, lungs, bone and joint, or become systemic.

[3] Following initial exposure to Sporothrix schenckii, the disease typically progresses over a period of a week to several months.

[5][6] Because S. schenckii is naturally found in soil, hay, sphagnum moss, and plants, it most often affects farmers, gardeners, and agricultural workers.

[citation needed] Differential diagnoses includes: leishmaniasis, nocardiosis, mycobacterium marinum,[3] cat-scratch disease, leprosy, syphilis, sarcoidosis and tuberculosis.

[1] The majority of sporotrichosis cases occur when the fungus is introduced through a cut or puncture in the skin while handling vegetation containing the fungal spores.

Prevention of this disease includes wearing long sleeves and gloves while working with soil, hay bales, rose bushes, pine seedlings, and sphagnum moss.

Infected cats may exhibit abscesses, cellulitis, or draining wounds that fail to respond to antibiotic treatment.

[10][18] Although cats are the most common animal source, the infection has also been known to spread to humans from dogs, rats, squirrels, and armadillos.