infections
Nocardiosis
Introduction
Nocardiosis is an infection (typically of the lungs) caused by the Overview of Gram-Positive Bacteria . Nocardiabacteria can infect the lungs when they are inhaled, and they can infect the skin when they enter the skin through a cut or scrape. Symptoms depend on whether the bacteria infect the lungs (typically, causing a cough, fever, chills, chest pain, weakness, and loss of appetite) or the skin (abscesses, which may drain to the surface of the skin). To diagnose nocardiosis, doctors examine a sample of infected tissue under a microscope or send the sample to a laboratory to be cultured. Nocardiosis is treated with one or more antibiotics. (See also Overview of Bacteria .) Several species ofNocardiainfect people.Nocardia asteroidesusually causes lung and bodywide infections. Another species usually causes skin infections, particularly in people who live in tropical climates. People become infected when They inhale dust that containsNocardiabacteria, resulting in a lung infection. Soil or water that contains the bacteria enters the skin through a cut or scrape, resulting in a skin infection. Nocardiosis rarely spreads from person to person. Nocardiabacteria can spread to nearby tissue or through the bloodstream to infect any organ. They most commonly infect the brain, skin, kidneys, bone, or muscle. Abscesses (pockets of pus) may form in the infected organs. Nocardiosis occurs worldwide in people of all ages. But it is more common among older people, especially men, and in people who have a weakened immune system. Any of the following conditions, which weaken the immune system, increases the risk of getting nocardiosis: Having certain cancers (such as Hodgkin Lymphoma ) Having an Overview of Transplantation None Taking high doses of corticosteroids or other Some Drugs That Can Cause Immunodeficiency None Having lung disease Having advanced HIV/ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) None Nocardiosis is considered an opportunistic infection because it occurs in people with a weakened immune system. However, about 20 to 30% of people with nocardiosis have no disorder or condition that increases the risk. In the United States, an estimated 500 to 1,000 new cases of nocardiosis occur each year. 