1. ‫بسم ا الرحمن الرحيم‬
MYCOPLASMAS
Prof. Khalifa Sifaw Ghenghesh

2.  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

3. Mycoplasma pneumoniae
colonies (40X)

4. Mycoplasma pneumoniae

5. Mycoplasma & Ureaplasma
 Important species associated
with human disease
–M. fermentans
–M. genitalium
–M. hominis
–M. pneumoniae
–Ureaplasma urealyticum

6. 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?

7. 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

8. 3. Joint Infections
U. Urealyticum and M. genitalium
 Sexually acquired reactive arthritis
 Reiter’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis
4. Infection in the Immunocompromised
M. penumoniae, M. hominis and
ureaplasms
 Severe pneumonia, arthritis, persistent
urethritis and chronic cystitis

9. Laboratory Diagnosis
1. Respiratory Infections
 Specific serological test
– Complement fixation test
 Isolation of M. pneumoniae
– Specimen: sputum, throat washing,
pharyngeal swab
– Specific selective liquid and solid media
– Requires up to 3 weeks incubation ?
 PCR

10. 2. Urogenital Infections
 Isolation of the causative organism
– Specimen: Urethral, cervical or vaginal
swabs
– Specific selective liquid media
– Culture on solid media
 Serological tests
– For definitive identification
 PCR
– DNA primers used for amplification by
PCR

11. Treatment
1. Respiratory Infections

M. pneumoniae
– Tetracycline, Erythromycin,
Clarithromycin, Ciprofloxacin
2. Urogenital Infections
– Tetracyclines, Erythromycin
plus clindamycin