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Respiratory system
Respiratory system
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Pulmonary nocardiosis

Definition:
Pulmonary nocardiosis is an infection of the lung that is caused by the fungus-like bacterium Nocardia asteroides.

Alternative Names:
Nocardiosis - pulmonary

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Nocardia infection develops when you inhale the bacteria. The infection causes pneumobia-like symptoms but is often not limited to the lungs. Infection can spread to any part of the body, but brain and skin infections are the most common complications.

In the US, there are 500-1,000 news cases of nocardia infection diagnosed each year.

People at highest risk for nocardia infection are people with impaired immune systems, including people with HIV, people receiving chronic therapy with steroid medication, and people who have received organ transplants. People suffering chronic lung problems related to smoking, emphysema, or other infections such as tuberculosis are also at increased risk.

Pulmonary (lung) manifestations of nocardiosis are more common in children than adults.



Review Date: 7/30/2002
Reviewed By: Christopher Parsons, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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