What Do We Know About spp. in Portugal? One Health Systematic Review in a Comprehensive 13-Year Retrospective Study (2013-2025).

Cryptococcosis, caused by the and species complexes (pathogenic spp.), is an environmentally acquired mycosis of One Health relevance. This study integrates a PRISMA-compliant systematic review (2000-2025) of Portuguese animal, human, and environmental reports with a 13-year retrospective dataset of laboratory-confirmed veterinary cryptococcosis cases (2013-2025). Clinical specimens were cultured and identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and associations were assessed using χ and Fisher's exact tests. Of 1059 submissions, 48 (4.5%) were culture-positive: 6.8% of canine, 5.3% of feline samples, and 4.0% of avian samples, with no detections in other vertebrate groups ( = 0.705). predominated in carnivores (73.7%), while (formerly was most frequent in birds (86.2%). Infection was not associated with sex or age. Seasonality was evident, with a July peak and summer predominance ( = 0.010). Most cases were from the Centre region (62.5%), with significant regional variation of spp. distribution ( < 0.001). The systematic review confirmed autochthonous complex disease and widespread contamination in pigeon guano and arboreal niches. These findings demonstrate a compartmentalised eco-epidemiology, reinforcing the need for integrated molecular typing, antifungal susceptibility testing, and coordinated human-animal-environment surveillance to inform targeted prevention and control strategies in Portugal.