This multicenter study in Taiwan investigated the clinical presentations of various Nocardia species infections based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Patients with nocardiosis in four large medical centers from 1998 to 2010 were included. A total of 100 preserved nonduplicate isolates causing human infection were identified as Nocardia species. Sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA confirmed that 35 of 36 N. asteroides isolates identified by conventional tests were non-asteroides Nocardia species, and that two of 50 N. brasiliensis isolates had also been initially misidentified. N. brasiliensis (50%) was the most common pathogen, followed by N. cyriacigeorgica (18%). In addition, several rare pathogens were identified, including N. asiatica, N. rhamnosiphila, N. abscessus, N. transvalensis, N. elegans, and N. carnea. Primary cutaneous infection was the most common presentation, noted in 55 (55%) patients, while pulmonary infection presented in 26 (26%) patients. The crude mortality rate was 6.7% (6/89), and was lowest for primary cutaneous infection (2.2%) and highest for disseminated disease and pulmonary infection (16.7%). In conclusion, N. brasiliensis and N. cyriacigeorgica were the most common pathogens causing nocardiosis in Taiwan. Molecular methods for identifying Nocardia to the species level are mandatory for better understanding the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients with nocardiosis.

Infections caused by non-cholerae Vibrio are uncommon. From July 2004 to June 2010, a total of 218 isolates of Vibrio species were identified from 171 patients treated at Chi Mei Medical Center, Taiwan. A total of 173 isolates of non-cholerae Vibrio species were isolated from 127 patients. The most common type of infection was acute gastroenteritis (59.8%), followed by skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) (26.0%) and primary bacteremia (11.0%). Other types of infection included biliary tract infection, peritonitis, and acute otitis media, each at a rate of less than 2%. For patients with acute gastroenteritis, V. parahaemolyticus comprised 92.1% of cases, but V. vulnificus was the most common pathogen causing SSTI. All episodes of bacteremia were caused by V. vulnificus. The all-cause mortality rate was 18.8% of 32 patients with SSTI and the fatality rate was significantly higher among patients with decreased albumin, elevated lactate, use of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and the presence of shock. In conclusion, non-cholerae Vibrio species caused protean manifestations that vary with the infecting Vibrio species. This epidemiological study helps physicians to better understand the clinical characteristics of infections caused by different non-cholerae Vibrio species.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolates in elderly Taiwanese patients. From 2004 through 2008, patients >65 years old with NTM isolation were identified. The definitions of NTM disease followed the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Disease Society of America (ATS/IDSA) criteria. Among the 3,175 NTM isolates, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC; n = 1,118, 35.2%) was the most prevalent species, followed by M. abscessus (n = 545, 17.2%). Among the 1,633 elderly patients with NTM isolates, the most prevalent NTM species were MAC (n = 592, 36.3%) and M. fortuitum complex (n = 311, 19.0%). NTM colonization was found in 1,339 (80.4%) patients and only 326 (19.6%) patients had NTM diseases. During the study period, the annual incidence rates (per 100,000 inpatients and outpatients) of NTM colonization and disease both increased significantly (p < 0.0001) from 10.5 to 15.8 and from 2.1 to 4.3, respectively. Isolated pulmonary NTM infections compromised 294 (90.2%) of the 326 elderly cases of NTM disease. In conclusion, this study found an increasing trend in the incidence of both NTM isolates and NTM diseases among elderly Taiwanese patients. MAC and M. abscessus were the most frequent species causing various types of NTM disease.