Experience with Nocardia asteroides in renal transplant recipients.

Six cases of Nocardia asteroides infection in renal transplant recipients are described. Respiratory symptoms predominated, complicated in one case by cerebral abscess. General dissemination did not occur in any patient. Environmental testing failed to show source(s) of the organism. Nocardiosis patients should be isolated to prevent airborne spread to renal transplant recipients, who are prone to infection and from whom specimens for culture should be incubated for at least 7 days to exclude Nocardia spp.