Biology of Pathogenic Actinobacteria: Nocardia and Allied Genera

The potential role of actinobacteria at the frontiers of mammalian infectious diseases is often misapprehended. Most often they are overlooked, and their involvement conceivably cascades into the gray zones of routine diagnostic bacteriology and medical mycology. This chapter provides an impression of the unique structure, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy of pathogenic actinobacteria, with emphasis on the genus Nocardia. It explores the relatively undermined pathogenic prospect of members of this group. It begins with various phenotypic attributes such as morphology, physiology, growth requirements, and virulence profiles. It encompasses various diagnostic modalities, susceptibility profiles, protocols, and algorithms for phenotypic and genotypic identification. Towards the end, it comprehends the clinical significance, and management of actinobacteria associated infections will be discussed.