Nocardia, hydrocarbons and dust storms: A public health perspective

The organisms of genus Nocardia are aerobic filamentous bacteria that are widely prevalent in soil and can cause opportunistic infections. These are facultative intracellular pathogens and infect primarily the lungs and brains of immunocompromised patients leading to fatal consequences. The incidence of infections caused by Nocardia is rising throughout the world. Hence, there is a need to better understand this pathogen and its interaction with humans leading to disease and death.