Identification of a novel drug-resistant community-acquired Nocardia spp. in a patient with bronchiectasis

Abstract

A previously unknown Nocardia species was isolated from the lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of a 58-year-old woman with bronchiectasis and recurrent pneumonia. This Nocardia (GZ2020 T ), which grew readily in Columbia blood agar and could induce pneumonia in a mouse model, represents a novel Nocardia species, and its closest known relatives are Nocardia anaemiae NBRC 100462 T , Nocardia pseudovaccinii NBRC 100343 T and Nocardia vinacea NBRC 16497 T . However, unlike all previously known species, GZ2020 T is the first genus of Nocardia spp. that is not susceptible to multiple drugs but does show susceptibility to linezolid and moxifloxacin, and thus, GZ2020 T potentially represents a substantial health threat to patients with bronchiectasis and immunocompromised individuals. Although the original pathogen source and method of spreading remain uncertain, a mode of transmission from the environment to humans could exist. Vigilance with respect to its spread in the population and the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment should be maintained.

Rapid diagnosis of fatal Nocardia kroppenstedtii bacteremic pneumonia and empyema thoracis by next-generation sequencing: a case report

“…Moreover, there has also been a marked increase in the number of both known and novel Nocardia species associated with human infections because of the use of 16S rDNA gene sequencing and whole genome sequencing ( 1 ). Examples of novel Nocardia species discovered in recent years associated infections include Nocardia guangzhouensis, Nocardia barduliensis, Nocardia gipuzkoensis , and Nocardia kroppenstedtii ( 2 – 4 ).…”

Clinical screening of Nocardia in sputum smears based on neural networks

“…However, as research progressed, it has been discovered that Nocardia can also infect immunocompetent individuals ( Fujita et al., 2016 ; Abe et al., 2021 ; Margalit et al., 2021 ). Nocardia infections can arise on multiple organs, including the skin ( Akasaka et al., 2011 ; Chen et al., 2020 ), lungs ( Abe et al., 2021 ; Li et al., 2022 ; Chen and Hu, 2023 ), brain ( Song et al., 2021 ), etc. Among them, the lungs have the highest infection rate ( Margalit et al., 2020 ; Yetmar et al., 2023 ), accounting for approximately 50-70% of Nocardia infections ( Ambrosioni et al., 2010 ).…”

Case report: Nocardia gipuzkoensis infection in an immunocompetent patient diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing and whole genome sequencing

“…In immunocompetent patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis could be considered to represent risk factors for pulmonary Nocardia (5)(6)(7). It is worth mentioning that a novel drug-resistant communityacquired Nocardia spp was identified in a patient with bronchiectasis (8).…”