Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MYCOPLASMAS
Prof. Khalifa Sifaw Ghenghesh
Pleomorphic organisms
No cell wall
– Resistant to antibiotics act on bacterial
cell wall synthesis and to lysozyme
Require animal protein (blood serum) and
sterol for cultivation
On agar
– Colonies have “fried egg” appearance
Two Important genera
– Mycoplasma
– Ureaplasma
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
colonies (40X)
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Mycoplasma & Ureaplasma
Important species associated
with human disease
–M. fermentans
–M. genitalium
–M. hominis
–M. pneumoniae
–Ureaplasma urealyticum
Pathogenesis
1. Respiratory Infections
Primary atypical pneumonia
– M. pneumoniae
Respiratory infection in the newborn
– M. hominis and U. urealyticum
Other respiratory infection
– M. hominis and M. fermentans?
2. Urogenital Infections
Mainly M. hominis and U. urealyticum
Urogenital infections in men >> NGU
Urinary infection and calculi
– Acute pylonephritis
– Patients with infective stones
Reproductive tract disease in women
– Bacterial vaginosis
– PID
Disease associated with pregnancy and
newborn
3. Joint Infections
U. Urealyticum and M. genitalium
Sexually acquired reactive arthritis
Reiter’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis
Serological tests
– For definitive identification
PCR
– DNA primers used for amplification by
PCR
Treatment
1. Respiratory Infections
M. pneumoniae
– Tetracycline, Erythromycin,
Clarithromycin, Ciprofloxacin
2. Urogenital Infections
– Tetracyclines, Erythromycin
plus clindamycin