Nocardia, often referred to as a Nocardia infection or nocardiosis, is a bacterial disease caused by stagnant water or soil. Nocardia typically starts on the surface of the skin or in the lungs, but it can also originate in the brain. If it begins on the skin, Nocardia is known as cutaneous nocardiosis; if it starts in the lungs, it’s known as pulmonary nocardiosis.
In most cases, Nocardia is a fairly minor problem, similar to a skin infection. However, it can have severe consequences in people with a weak immune system or if it spreads to the blood. When nocardiosis gets into the bloodstream, it can spread to and infect other parts of the body. Pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses can also make nocardiosis more severe.
The symptoms of Nocardia that you’ll experience will depend on the type of infection you have. Symptoms will also vary based on how severe the condition is, how long you’ve had it, and your current health status. While the severity of symptoms may vary, most people will experience several of the following.
Some of these symptoms are more common with the cutaneous version, and some are more common with the pulmonary version. If you have a weakened immune system and develop a severe case of Nocardia, it can lead to seizures, ulcers, skin breakdown, or a coma. If left untreated, nocardiosis can eventually cause death.
Nocardiosis is a bacterial infection caused by a bacterium known as Nocardia. These bacteria harm humans when they get into your system, and they’re typically found in nature. In most cases, Nocardia live in stagnant water or soggy soil. Therefore, you can get Nocardia by inhaling infected dust, drinking contaminated water, or allowing the bacteria to get into a cut on your skin.
While Nocardia doesn’t discriminate against anyone, certain people are more at risk for getting nocardiosis than others.
People who have a weakened immune system are more susceptible to Nocardia. These individuals will also likely experience a more severe form of the disease.
Men are more likely to get Nocardia, especially men over 50.
People who work in an outdoor environment are more prone to Nocardia.
A pre-existing health condition such as cancer, diabetes, AIDS, alcoholism, and others puts you at higher risk.
Because of how rare nocardiosis is, it’s a tough disease to diagnose. Pulmonary Nocardia looks very similar to other pulmonary conditions, and cutaneous Nocardia looks similar to other skin infections. Therefore, a physical examination and your health history aren’t enough to form a diagnosis. Instead, your doctor will often biopsy and examine a fluid or tissue sample of the infected area.
They may also perform chest x-rays or a CT scan if they suspect pulmonary nocardiosis. A sputum culture can also be effective during diagnosis. If your doctor discovers the presence of Nocardia on any of these cultures or samples, they can confirm nocardiosis.
As with most bacterial infections, antibiotics are the only treatment currently available to cure Nocardia. Most people will need to take the antibiotics for at least six weeks, some even longer. In severe cases of nocardiosis, you may require surgery to drain abscesses and infected parts of the brain, skin, and lungs. If your initial round of antibiotics is ineffective, further testing may be necessary to determine which antibiotics will be most effective.