AUTHOR=Xing Fanfan , Xia Yao , Lu Qianyun , Lo Simon K. F. , Lau Susanna K. P. , Woo Patrick C. Y. 

TITLE=Rapid diagnosis of fatal Nocardia kroppenstedtii bacteremic pneumonia and empyema thoracis by next-generation sequencing: a case report

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1226126

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1226126

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Nocardia</italic> species do not replicate as rapidly as other pyogenic bacteria and nocardial infections can be highly fatal, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Here, we present the first report of fatal <italic>Nocardia kroppenstedtii</italic> bacteremic pneumonia and empyema thoracis diagnosed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies' MinION device. The bacterium was not identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Due to its low equipment cost, short turn-around-time, and portable size, the Oxford Nanopore Technologies' MinION device is a useful platform for NGS in routine clinical microbiology laboratories.</p>