Prevention
There are no specific ways to prevent infection. People who have weakened immune systems should wear shoes as well as clothing covering the skin, open wounds, and cuts when they are working in the soil. This could prevent skin infections.
People who have an organ transplant might be given antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections. Some studies have shown that this might prevent nocardiosis.
Outbreaks of nocardiosis in hospitals are rare. A few outbreaks have been linked to other patients, healthcare workers, and the release of bacteria in the air during hospital construction work. Hospitals should maintain strong infection control practices to avoid outbreaks of nocardiosis.
- Page last reviewed: March 30, 2016
- Page last updated: March 30, 2016
- Content Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP)