[Nocardia and human nocardiosis]

Abstract

Nocardia spp. are pathogens commonly found in soil worldwide, and they cause mostly opportunistic infections in humans and animals, complicating both immunodepressive states and primary diseases. Nocardiosis is difficult to proper microbiological and clinical diagnosis because of its non-specific symptoms, which manifest as the cutaneous and sub-cutaneous infections, lung symptoms and the dissemination through the bloodstream to other organs. General characteristics of Nocardia, human nocardiosis as well as the microbiological diagnostics routine and treatment are discussed.