Nocardia cyriacigeorgica is a significant pathogen responsible for nocardiosis in Japan and Thailand

Mycopathologia. 2005 Aug;160(1):15-9. doi: 10.1007/s11046-005-3050-2.

Abstract

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica is a recently described species. During routine diagnostic testing of 121 clinical isolates, we found that about one fourth of the strains from Japan (19 isolates) and Thailand (8 isolates), which were identified in our laboratories as N. asteroides, in fact belong to N. cyriacigeorgica. To our knowledge, this is the first report of infection due to N. cyriacigeorgica in Japan and Thailand, and the third report of infection anywhere in the world. Although N. cyriacigeorgica is usually differentiated from other Nocardia species by utilization of glucose and gluconate, we found that it can also be differentiated by a characteristic synergistic effect between imipenem (IPM) and tobramycin (TOB).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Drug Synergism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imipenem / pharmacology
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Nocardia / classification
  • Nocardia / drug effects
  • Nocardia / genetics
  • Nocardia / isolation & purification*
  • Nocardia Infections / diagnosis*
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Species Specificity
  • Thailand
  • Tobramycin / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Imipenem
  • Tobramycin