What is Nocardia actinomycosis? We know very little about this disease and do not know the symptoms and causes of the disease. The disease is caused by a bacterium called Actinomyces nocardiae, and it is an intensely infectious disease, mainly transmitted by animals to humans. The disease is extremely dangerous to patients and is likely to be life-threatening if not detected and treated in a timely manner. Nocardia actinomycosis – Causes Nocardia is a chronic infectious disease caused by Nocardia bacteria in humans and animals This disease is mainly infected by skin trauma and a few cases can also be infected by the whistle. Nocardia actinomycosis is uncommon but is distributed worldwide and can occur in all age groups, but the incidence is higher in elderly males with malignant disease of the lymphoreticular system Organ transplantation High-dose corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive therapy are factors in the prevalence, but about half of the patients do not have pre-existing disease This disease has been considered an opportunistic infection in patients with advanced AIDS Other Nocardia bacteria can sometimes cause local or occasionally can be systemic infections. Actinomyces nocardiae – Epidemiology Nocardia stellata usually enters the body through the lungs, but rarely through the gastrointestinal tract or skin. Actinomyces nocardiae is uncommon but is distributed worldwide and can occur in all age groups, although the incidence is higher in older men. Malignant disease of the lymphoreticular system, organ transplantation, and high-dose corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive therapy are all factors, but about half of the patients do not have preexisting disease. The disease has been recognized as an opportunistic infection in patients with advanced AIDS. Other Nocardia species can sometimes cause local or occasionally systemic infections. Actinomyces nocardiae – Signs and Symptoms Diffuse actinomyces nocardiae usually begins as a pulmonary infection and may present similarly to actinomycosis, but Actinomyces nocardiae is more often transmitted hematogenously and forms brain abscesses or, more rarely, abscesses in the kidneys or other multiple organs. Cutaneous or subcutaneous abscesses occur frequently, sometimes as the primary site of local infection. In pulmonary lesions, the most common symptoms include cough, fever, chills, chest pain, weakness, poor appetite, and weight loss, but these symptoms are nonspecific and similar to those of tuberculosis or septic pneumonia. Pleural effusion can also occur. Metastatic brain abscesses may occur in about 1/3 of cases, usually with severe headache and focal neurological abnormalities. The infection can be acute, subacute, or chronic. Actinomyces nocardiae – Diagnosis The diagnosis is made from a specimen obtained from a localized lesion found by physical examination, x-ray or other imaging or from a tissue culture finding Nocardia stellaris. Weak acid-resistant bead-like clusters and branching filaments of Gram-positive bacilli (stained with a modified acid-resistant stain that can be decolorized with sulfuric acid, rather than ethanolic acid as used for Mycobacterium tuberculosis) are often seen. Nocardia stellata is not club-shaped like Actinomyces epidermidis. Nocardia – Treatment Nocardia caused by Nocardia asteroides is often fatal if left untreated. The highest mortality rate (>50%) in patients treated with appropriate antibiotics is in patients with diffuse infection with immune compromise, and the lowest (15% mortality rate) is in immunocompetent patients with lesions confined to the lungs. Because of the slow response to treatment in most cases, the dose of aminophenazone should be maintained at a blood concentration of 12-15 mg/dl (e.g., sulfadiazine 4-6 g/d orally) for several months. In case of allergy to sulfonamides or refractory infections, bindamycin, tetracycline, imipenem, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, or cycloserine may be used. The above article on this Nocardia actinomycosis made a more comprehensive and objective introduction, I believe we all have a great degree of understanding of this disease, which also helps us in some aspects of prevention and treatment work, accurate to help us prevent and treat this disease. Of course, in our application of various methods of prevention at the same time, we should also pay attention to the health of life and diet, pay attention to the health aspects, to do just in case.