Nocardia brasiliensis

Nocardia brasiliensis, a somewhat unusual bacterium somewhere between a bacterium and a fungus! Under the microscope, it forms branched filaments, resembling fungal hyphae. It is found naturally in soil, dust, and decaying organic matter, especially in tropical regions (especially Brazil), from which it takes its name.

It can infiltrate our body in two ways: First, through the skin, causing cutaneous nocardiosis, a chronic infection that manifests as nodules, abscesses or fistulas. Second, by inhaling contaminated dust, causing pulmonary nocardiosis, which is rarer and mainly affects immunocompromised people, and can affect the lungs, brain, skin, etc.

Treatment is often long, with specific antibiotics for several months, and sometimes surgery is necessary to remove abscesses or necrotic tissue.

To avoid this nasty condition, you should: Wear boots and gloves and cover wounds well during outdoor activities, reduce the exposure of at-risk individuals to contaminated dust, monitor symptoms in immunocompromised individuals, and clean and treat wounds carefully.

Don't forget to complete your collection with the Nocardia brasiliensis sticker, a unique microbial jewel not to be missed!

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PUN: No cardio? It's just Nocardia in your lungs.