Sporothrix schenckii S. schenckii has caused a substantial number of local skin or eye infections in laboratory personnel. No pulmonary infections have been reported to result from laboratory exposure, although naturally occurring lung disease is thought to result from inhalation. Biosafety Level 2 and Animal Biosafety Level 2 practices and facilities are recommended for all laboratory and experimental animal activities with S. schenckii. Gloves should be worn when handling experimentally infected animals, and during operations with broth cultures that might result in hand contamination. Pathogenic Members of the Genera Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Trichophyton Although skin, hair and nail infections by these dermatophytid molds are among the most prevalent of human infections, the processing of clinical material has not been associated with laboratory infections.
Agents are present in the skin, hair and nails of human and animal hosts.
Contact with infected laboratory animals with inapparent or apparent infections is the primary hazard to laboratory personnel. Cultures and clinical materials are not an important source of human infection. Biosafety Level 2 and Animal Biosafety Level 2 practices and facilities are recommended for all laboratory and experimental animal activities with dermatophytes. Experimentally infected animals should be handled with disposable gloves. Miscellaneous Molds Several molds have caused serious infection in immunocompetent hosts following presumed inhalation or accidental subcutaneous inoculation from environmental sources.