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Human nocardiosis may present as an acute or a chronic infection. Although a saprophyte Nocardia spp are responsible for superficial skin infections, pulmonary infections, and disseminated nocardiosis usually involving patients who are immunosuppressed and debilitated. Infections in immunocompetent individuals are usually chronic and present non-specific symptoms. Invasive and disseminated nocardiosis is common among patients with weakened cellular immune systems. Clinical diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis is difficult owing to the similarity of its presentation with other respiratory pathogens that include Actinomycetes members and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Laboratory diagnosis of human nocardiosis is plagued by the fact that a culture of Nocardia spp requires prolonged incubation periods for isolation which most laboratories fail to follow. The lack of clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological data on the incidence of nocardiosis in humans undermines its significance as a potential pathogen. This review attempts to reexamine the pathogenic potential of Nocardia in human infections

COVID‐19 is highly contagious pathogenic viral infection initiated from Wuhan seafood wholesale market of China on December 2019 and spread rapidly around the whole world due to onward transmission. This recent outbreak of novel coronavirus (CoV) was believed to be originated from bats and causing respiratory infections such as common cold, dry cough, fever, headache, dyspnea, pneumonia, and finally Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in humans. For this widespread zoonotic virus, human‐to‐human transmission has resulted in nearly 83 lakh cases in 213 countries and territories with 4,50,686 deaths as on 19 June 2020. This review presents a report on the origin, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, possible vaccines, animal models, and immunotherapy for this novel virus and will provide ample references for the researchers toward the ongoing development of therapeutic agents and vaccines and also preventing the spread of this disease.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is the most prevalent, worldwide public health problem of the elderly population. The main cause of CRF is a damaged kidney. There are five stages of CRF based on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and stage 5 (GFR < 15 ml/min/1.73m2) is often called an end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In CRF, there is an accumulation of toxins and excess water due to compromised renal function. Dialysis is the preferred way to treat ESRD and remove accumulated toxins from the body. The cardiovascular risk associated with dialysis is 10 to 20 times higher in patients undergoing dialysis than in normal people. The inflamed kidneys and the process of dialysis also affect endothelial function, aggravating the risk of hypertension and cardiac problems. Therefore, both physicians and patients should be aware of the consequences of undergoing dialysis. There is an urgent need to educate CRF patients regarding facts about the disease, medications, dietary habits, and various measures required to manage the condition and lead a normal life. This paper attempts to delineate the mechanisms that could result in cardiovascular and other complications among CRF patients undergoing dialysis.

The discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the causative organism of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the inability of modern medicine to find a cure for it has placed HIV as one of the most dreaded pathogens of the 21st century. With millions of people infected with HIV, it was once thought to result in “medical apocalypse”. However, with the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART), it is now possible to control HIV. Adherence to ART helps to keep the viral load under control and prolong the time of progression to AIDS, resulting in near normal life expectancy. Even with the introduction of ART, a substantial number of patients fail to adhere due to a variety of reasons, including adverse side effects, drug abuse, mental disorders, socioeconomic status, literacy, and social stigma. With the availability of so many options for HIV treatment at each stage of the disease progression, physicians can switch between the treatment regimens to avoid and/or minimize the adverse effects of drugs. Close monitoring, major social reforms, and adequate counselling should also be implemented to circumvent other challenges.