Nocardia neocaledoniensis as Rare Cause of Spondylodiscitis

Abstract

Nocardia neocaledoniensis is a rare species of Nocardia bacteria, identified in 2004 in hypermagnesian ultramafic soil of New Caledonia. Culture of this opportunistic pathogen from spinal biopsy samples confirmed N. neocaledoniensis spondylodiscitis in an immunocompromised man. Isolation of this unusual species from spinal biopsy samples illustrates its underappreciated ability to cause invasive infection.

Keywords

• Nocardia neocaledoniensis
• spondylodiscitis
• DNA sequencing
• 16S rRNA gene
• bacteria
• France