Nocardiosis
Nocardiosis (pronounced: noh-kahr-dee-OH-sis) is a rare infectious disease caused by the bacterium Nocardia.
Etymology
The term "Nocardiosis" is derived from the name of the French veterinarian Edmond Nocard who first isolated the bacterium in 1888.
Definition
Nocardiosis is an infection primarily affecting the lungs (pulmonary nocardiosis), but it can also occur in the skin (cutaneous nocardiosis) or throughout the body (systemic nocardiosis). It is caused by the bacterium Nocardia, a type of Gram-positive, aerobic, filamentous bacteria found in soil and water.
Symptoms
Symptoms of nocardiosis can vary depending on the area of the body affected. Pulmonary nocardiosis can cause cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. Cutaneous nocardiosis can result in skin sores, abscesses, or other skin issues. Systemic nocardiosis can affect multiple body systems and may cause a variety of symptoms.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of nocardiosis typically involves laboratory tests to identify the Nocardia bacteria in body fluids or tissue samples. These may include microbiological cultures, histopathological examination, or molecular diagnostic techniques such as PCR.
Treatment
Treatment for nocardiosis usually involves long-term antibiotic therapy. The specific antibiotics used may vary depending on the species of Nocardia involved and the patient's overall health status.
Related Terms
- Bacteria
- Infectious disease
- Pulmonology
- Dermatology
- Systemic disease
- Microbiology
- Histopathology
- Polymerase chain reaction
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Nocardiosis
- Wikipedia's article - Nocardiosis
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