Final answer:
Sporothrix schenckii is differentiated from Acremonium by culturing on potato dextrose agar and observing specific colony characteristics and microscopic morphology with lactophenol cotton blue staining; itraconazole is the treatment for sporotrichosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sporothrix schenckii, the causative agent of sporotrichosis, can be differentiated from Acremonium, a fungal opportunistic pathogen, in several ways. Firstly, Sporothrix schenckii can be identified by its ability to grow on potato dextrose agar, forming colonies with a specific macroscopic morphology which can be observed under the microscope after staining with lactophenol cotton blue. Acremonium, on the other hand, may form different colony characteristics and would require different stains or cultures for positive identification. Secondly, the characteristic microscopic morphology, including macro and microconidia structures, of Sporothrix schenckii can be observed on a slide culture, which is distinct from Acremonium. Treatment for sporotrichosis generally involves itraconazole, an antifungal medication.