Nocardia brasiliensis in a horse with pneumonia and pleuritis

A 15 month-old Quarter Horse colt developed severe bacterial pneumonia and effusive pleuritis. A beta-hemolytic streptococcus was isolated from a tracheal wash specimen but the colt died despite conventional therapy. The gross post mortem and histologic lesions were characteristic of pulmonary nocardiosis. Nocardia brasiliensis was isolated from the lung and bronchial lymph node.