{"id":30458,"date":"2019-12-16T01:35:43","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T09:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/?p=30458"},"modified":"2021-11-03T02:05:34","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T09:05:34","slug":"mycoplasma-infection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/blog\/mycoplasma-infection\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Mycoplasma Roles in Disease + Treatment, Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sixteen Mycoplasma <\/em>species are found in humans, but not all may cause human disease. Learn about the many health complications of infection, plus treatment and prevention methods, here.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>What is Mycoplasma?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Mycoplasmas <\/em>are the smallest free-living microorganisms (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

They belong to a class of bacteria called Mollicutes<\/em>. Their name, which means \u201csoft skin,\u201d refers to the fact that they have no cell wall (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Lacking a cell wall, they are able to change shapes and resist antibiotics that act on a cell wall. They are considered \u201cGram negative\u201d because they do not respond to a bacterial Gram stain (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Mycoplasmas <\/em>have extremely small genome (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Due to these features, Mycoplasmas <\/em>require specific conditions for their growth and depend on the host for survival (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Role in Human Disease<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

More than 200 Mycoplasma <\/em>species have been identified in humans, animals, and plants (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

16 Mycoplasma <\/em>species are found in humans but only a few have been proven to cause human disease (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Several Mycoplasma <\/em>species including M. salivarium, M. orale, M. buccale, M. faucium, <\/em>and M. lipophilum <\/em>are normally found in the mouth and throat without causing disease (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Of the Mycoplasma <\/em>species known to infect man, M. pneumoniae <\/em>is the best-known cause of respiratory tract infections (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

They can also infect organs other than the lungs, including the nervous system, joints, skin, kidneys, heart, muscles, eyes, and blood [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

These infections can be seen before, during, or after lung disease or can occur without respiratory illness. Mycoplasma hominis<\/em>, Mycoplasma geni\u00adtalium, <\/em>and Ureaplasma urealyticum<\/em>, commonly found in the urinary and genital tracts, have also been found to cause human disease (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>1) Respiratory Disease<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/a>M. pneumoniae<\/h4>\n

M. pneumoniae<\/em>, initially known as \u201cEaton\u2019s agent,\u201d causes lung infection (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Infection is most frequent in children from 5 years of age to young adults (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The outbreaks occur in closed communities such as families, military bases, hospitals, and schools because close contact is needed for the spread of infection (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

Worldwide epidemics occur in children and adults every 3 to 5 years, most commonly in late summer or early fall (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Approximately 20% of infected persons have no symptoms. Around 75% have mild respiratory illnesses including chest cold<\/a> (tracheobronchitis) and inflammation of the windpipe (tracheitis). Only 3 – 10% of patients develop atypical pneumonia, also called \u201cwalking pneumonia<\/a>\u201d (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Mycoplasma<\/em> causes 15% -20% of all pneumonias, and up to 40% of community-acquired pneumonias (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

People who have walking pneumonia are rarely confined to a bed or need to be hospitalized. Some may even feel well enough to go to work and carry on with other daily activities.<\/p>\n

M. pneumoniae<\/em> is spread through contaminated droplets from person to person by sneezing or coughing (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Symptoms include fever, headache<\/a>, cough, sore throat, chills, muscle aches, and weakness. These symptoms develop slowly, over several days to a week, often persisting for weeks to months (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The cough is initially dry but later small amounts of greenish sputum are coughed up. The cough may also resemble pertussis, characterized by paroxysmal cough and vomiting, causing patients to complain of chest soreness from protracted coughing (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Earache occurs in about 30% of patients, but inflammation of the ear canal (otitis externa) and inner ear (otitis media and bullous myringitis) are rare (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Children under 5 years of age are most likely to have symptoms of the common cold and wheezing (a whistling sound while breathing) (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Older children aged 5 to 15 years are more likely to develop pneumonia (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Severe pneumonia, with multiple organ involvement and death, occurs in 0.5 – 2% of all M. pneumoniae pneumonia cases (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Children with an impaired immune system have a greater risk of developing more severe pneumonia (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Studies suggest that severe disease can also occur in otherwise healthy children and adults of all ages (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Almost 50% of severe pneumonia cases occurred in patients aged 20 – 49 years, and 13.5% occurred in people over 70 years old (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

M. pneumoniae<\/em> infection may play an important role in the occurrence of asthma.<\/p>\n

It can precede the onset of asthma, worsen symptoms, and cause difficulties in controlling asthma (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

A study found that M. pneumoniae<\/em> was the cause of asthma attacks in 50% of hospitalized children, and was a worsening factor in 20% of them (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Other Mycoplasmas<\/h4>\n

M. hominis<\/em> and U. urealyticum<\/em> have also been associated with pneumonia and respiratory distress syndrome in newborns (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

M. fermentans <\/em>has been found in the throats of 16% of children with community-acquired pneumonia (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

It has also been detected in previously healthy adults who presented with an influenza-like illness that sometimes progressed into respiratory distress syndrome (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

<\/a>2) Genital Tract Infections<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Infections caused by M. hominis<\/em>, M. genitalium<\/em>, and U. urealyticum <\/em>are sexually transmitted infections (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

According to the study, M. genitalium<\/em> infection was more common in people who had at least 4 new sexual partners in the past year compared to people who had 1 or less (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

M. genitalium<\/em> and U. urealyticum<\/em> cause inflammation of the urethra (urethritis) in men (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Men with infection experience burning, painful urination and discharge from the penis (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In women, M. genitalium <\/em>is associated with cervical and urethral infection (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

40 – 75% of women with infection do not have any symptoms (R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Women experiencing symptoms have abnormal vaginal discharge, painful urination or urgency to urinate, and rarely, bleeding between menstrual periods or after sexual intercourse (R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Genital mycoplasmas can also cause:<\/p>\n