Is Nocardia fatal?

Nocardia farcinica infections are rare and potentially life threatening.

How serious is nocardiosis?

Up to 44% of all people with infection in the brain or spinal cord die. The risk for death is much higher for patients with very weak immune systems—more than 85% of them die after developing nocardiosis of the brain or spinal cord.

Can Nocardia be cured?

Nocardiosis usually can be cured with antibiotics, but not all of them will work against the bacteria. Your doctor might need to run some lab tests to see which ones will work best for you. Then you might need to take them for 6 weeks up to a year, depending on how serious your infection is.

How long does Nocardia last?

Treatment typically lasts from six months to a year. However, more severe infections may require treatment for a longer period. If you develop an abscess due to this infection, your doctor may recommend surgery to drain it.

How long does Nocardia take to grow?

Current diagnostic tests include: Gram staining and modified acid-fast staining from smears of draining areas or skin biopsy specimens. Nocardia may take up to 2-3 weeks to grow in the laboratory; specimens from multiple clinical sites should be submitted.

What is the treatment for nocardiosis?

Nocardia organisms are usually resistant to penicillin. Sulfonamide drugs may be prescribed. However, since most cases respond slowly, treatment with sulfonamide drugs must be continued for several months. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is often prescribed for immunosuppressed patients.

How are patients commonly exposed to Nocardia?

Nocardiosis can present as a cutaneous disease when the bacterium is inoculated in the skin, usually through a puncture or wound, pulmonary when the bacterium is inhaled and gets to the lungs or disseminated when from these initial foci of infection, it spreads to other organs.

What are the symptoms of Nocardia?

Most cases of nocardiosis begin as pulmonary infections that develop into lung abscesses. Symptoms may include chest pain, cough, bloody sputum, sweats, chills, weakness, lack of appetite, weight loss and difficult or labored breathing. Nocardiosis symptoms are similar to those of pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Where is Nocardia found and what problems may it cause?

Nocardiosis is a disease caused by bacteria found in soil and water. It can affect the lungs, brain, and skin. It is most common in people with weakened immune systems who have difficulty fighting off infections (for example, people with cancer or those taking certain medications such as steroids).

How common is Nocardia?

Nocardiosis occurs worldwide. Those affected tend to be older adults, and males are more often affected than are females. In the USA, about 500 to 1,000 new cases of nocardiosis are diagnosed each year.