ePrints

Nocardia africana sp. nov., a new pathogen isolated from patients with pulmonary infections

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Mohamed Hamid, Dr Luis Maldonado, Professor Michael Goodfellow

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

Eight actinomycete strains, isolated from 8 out of 400 sputum samples examined, taken from patients with pulmonary diseases at the Chest Unit of Khartoum Teaching Hospital in the Sudan, were provisionally assigned to the genus Nocardia according to morphological criteria. These isolates were studied further in order to establish their taxonomic status. They were found to have morphological and chemical properties typical of nocardiae and formed a monophyletic clade in the 16S ribosomal DNA tree together with Nocardia vaccinii. The strains showed a unique pattern of phenotypic properties that distinguished them from representatives of recognized Nocardia species, including Nocardia vaccinii. The strains were considered to merit species status and were designated Nocardia africana sp. nov. The findings of the present study are consistent with the view that pulmonary nocardiosis may occur in a substantial proportion of patients who exhibit chronic lung diseases in African countries. It is important, therefore, that clinicians in such countries consider this condition, especially when patients with respiratory infections fail to respond to antitubercular therapy.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Goodfellow M; Hamid ME; Maldonado L; Sharaf Eldin GS; Mohamed MF; Saeed NS

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Year: 2001

Volume: 39

Issue: 2

Pages: 625-630

ISSN (print): 0095-1137

ISSN (electronic): 1098-660X

Publisher: American Society for Microbiology

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.39.2.625-630.2001

DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.2.625-630.2001

PubMed id: 11158119

Altmetrics

Share