Mycoplasma,

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Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma Species

• MLAB 2434 Microbiology
• Keri Brophy-Martinez

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Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma Species

• General Characteristics
• Once thought to be viruses because of size
• Mycoplasmas are the smallest free-living organism
  in nature
• Four human pathogens
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae - respiratory
• Mycoplasma hominis - urogenital
• Ureaplasma urealyticum urogenital
• Ureaplasma parvum- urogenital

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Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma Species (contd)

• Lack a cell wall
• Pleomorphic organisms
• Resistant to cell-wall-active antibiotics)
• Susceptible to heat and drying
• Slow growing, highly fastidious, facultative
  anaerobes
• Require complex media for growth

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Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma Species (contd)

• Pathogens of respiratory and urogenital tracts
• Transmission
• Direct sexual contact
• Mother-child exposure during delivery or in utero
• Respiratory secretions/aerosols
• Nosocomial (transplanted tissues)

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Clinical Infections

• Mycoplasma pneumoniae
• Causes bronchitis, pharyngitis, or primary
  atypical pneumonia (a.k.a. walking pneumonia)
• Usually infects school-age children and young
  adults in close quarters (dorms, military
  barracks, etc.)
• 50 of infections produce cold agglutinins
• Most often diagnosed by serologic evaluation and/
  or PCR

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M. hominis Ureaplasma species

• Most often associated with urogenital tract
  infections
• May be isolated from asymptomatic individuals
• Can be transmitted to the fetus at delivery
• Opportunistic pathogens

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Laboratory Diagnosis

• Cultures must be delivered immediately to the
  lab, because the organisms are very susceptible
  to drying
• Should be placed in transport media
• Swabs should be of Dacron, polyester or calcium
  alginate with a plastic or aluminum shaft
• If not plated immediately, should be frozen at
  -70C
• Most infections detected via serologic evaluation
  or PCR

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References

• Kiser, K. M., Payne, W. C., Taff, T. A. (2011).
  Clinical Laboratory Microbiology A Practical
  Approach . Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson
  Education.
• Mahon, C. R., Lehman, D. C., Manuselis, G.
  (2011). Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology (4th
  ed.). Maryland Heights, MO Saunders.