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ORPHA:31204Disease
What it is
A rare bacterial infection characterized by various clinical manifestations depending on the site of infection, caused by the Gram-positive bacillus Nocardia. The most common presentation is lung infection, which typically follows pathogen inhalation. Dissemination to other organs may occur, especially among immunocompromised patients. Primary skin and soft-tissue infection follows skin inoculation.
Key facts
- Prevalence
- 1-9 / 1 000 000 (annual incidence, Canada)
- Age of onset
- All ages
- Inheritance
- Not applicable
- Classified as
- Disease
Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.
Signs and symptoms
Common30–79%
8Sometimes5–29%
28and 20 more in this range
These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.
ICD-10 codes
Cross-references
Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.
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