Nocardia asteroides in the Soil of Kuwait |
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Authors: | Khan ZU Neil L Chandy R Chugh TD Al-Sayer H Provost F Boiron P |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait;(2) Mycology Unit, National Reference Center for Mycoses, Antifungal Agents and Actinomycetes, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France |
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Abstract: | A pilot study was undertaken to determine the occurrence and distribution of pathogenic nocardiae in Kuwaiti soil. A total
of 102 soil samples collected from two localities were investigated by the paraffin bait technique. Nocardia asteroides was
the only species isolated from 42 (41%) soil samples. None of the isolates fulfilled the criteria required for identification
of N. farcinica or N. nova. Thirty one (73.8%) isolates showed equivalent growth at 45 °C and 35 °C, 17 (40.4%) isolates utilized
acetamide for carbon and nitrogen requirements and 3 (7.1%) isolates showed delayed arylsulphatase activity. Only a solitary
isolate was resistant to cefamandole. Soil samples originating from the Kuwait University Campus Shuwaikh, which were rich
in humus/organic matter, were more productive for N. asteroides (67%) than the samples which were devoid of it but were mixed
with crude oil (39%). Sand samples that lacked organic matter and crude oil samples were least productive of N. asteroides.
These preliminary findings do not suggest that massive oil contamination of soil in the Ahmadi oil field area during the Gulf
war promoted the natural occurrence of N. asteroides. However, isolation of N. asteroides in as many as 41% of the soil sample
is a significant observation warranting further epidemiologic studies including its possible role in the operation desert
storm sickness syndrome. This is the first report on the natural occurrence of N. asteroides in Kuwait.
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | Nocardia asteroides nocardiae in soil crude oil contamination natural occurrence |
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