Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Pulmonary nocardiosis is an infection of the lung with the bacteria, Nocardia asteroides.
Alternative Names
Nocardiosis - pulmonary
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Nocardia infection develops when you breathe in (inhale) the bacteria. The infection causes
People at highest risk for nocardia infection are those with a weakened immune system. This includes people who have:
- Been taking steroid medicines or other medicine that weaken the immune system for a long time
- Had an organ transplant
HIV
Other people at risk include those with chronic lung problems related to smoking, emphysema, or other infections such as
Images
Review Date: 09/17/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, Assistant Professor of
Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
