NOCARDIA-ASTEROIDES IN THE SOIL OF KUWAIT

A pilot study was undertaken to determine the occurrence and distribut ion of pathogenic nocardiae in Kuwaiti soil. A total of 102 soil sampl es collected from two localities were investigated by the paraffin bai t technique. Nocardia asteroides was the only species isolated from 42 (41%) soil samples. None of the isolates fulfilled the criteria requi red for identification of N. farcinica or N. nova. Thirty one (73.8%) isolates showed equivalent growth at 45 degrees C and 35 degrees C, 17 (40.4%) isolates utilized acetamide for carbon and nitrogen requireme nts and 3 (7.1%) isolates showed delayed arylsulphatase activity. Only a solitary isolate was resistant to cefamandole. Soil samples origina ting from the Kuwait University Campus, Shuwaikh, which were rich in h umus/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. astero ides. However, isolation of N. asteroides in as many as 41% of the soi l sample is a significant observation warranting further epidemiologic studies including its possible role in the operation desert storm sic kness syndrome. This is the first report on the natural occurrence of N. asteroides in Kuwait.