Ureaplasma spp.

May or may not be a pathogen or problem, depending on the individual circumstances.

There are two types of Ureaplasma that live in the vagina: Ureaplasma parvum and U. urealyticum.

Both types cause inflammation​1​. U. parvum, and possibly U. urealyticum, are associated with preterm birth​1,2​. U. urealyticum is linked with male infertility​3,4​ and bacterial vaginosis (BV), with that effect increasing with the joint efforts of U. parvum​5​.

Ureaplasma species can form biofilms (in vitro at least), with biofilms strengthening antibiotic resistance​6,7​.

References

  1. 1.
    Tristram D. Maternal Genital Tract Infection. In: Mucosal Immunology. Elsevier; 2015:2215-2229. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-415847-4.00113-0
  2. 2.
    Sobouti B, Fallah S, Mobayen M, Noorbakhsh S, Ghavami Y. Colonization of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in pregnant women and their transmission to offspring. Iran J Microbiol. 2014;6(4):219-224. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25802703
  3. 3.
    Simón Rodríguez C, Charry Gónima P, García Cardoso JV, González Enguita C. Infectious and Inflammatory Male Infertility. In: Encyclopedia of Reproduction. Elsevier; 2018:291-296. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.64546-4
  4. 4.
    Zhou YH, Ma HX, Shi XX, Liu Y. Ureaplasma spp. in male infertility and its relationship with semen quality and seminal plasma components. Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. Published online December 2018:778-783. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2016.09.004
  5. 5.
    Frølund M, Falk L, Ahrens P, Jensen JS. Detection of ureaplasmas and bacterial vaginosis associated bacteria and their association with non-gonococcal urethritis in men. Fredricks DN, ed. PLoS ONE. Published online April 4, 2019:e0214425. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0214425
  6. 6.
    Pandelidis K, McCarthy A, Chesko KL, Viscardi RM. Role of Biofilm Formation in Ureaplasma Antibiotic Susceptibility and Development of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Neonates. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Published online April 2013:394-398. doi:10.1097/inf.0b013e3182791ae0
  7. 7.
    Garcia-Castillo M, Morosini M-I, Galvez M, Baquero F, del Campo R, Meseguer M-A. Differences in biofilm development and antibiotic susceptibility among clinical Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum isolates. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Published online July 18, 2008:1027-1030. doi:10.1093/jac/dkn337
Condition typeBacteria
Affected systemsReproductive
Sexually Transmissibleyes
Genitourinary Incidencecommon
Age group affected
  • puberty onward

Microbial information

Anaerobe / AerobeAerobe
Gram stainGram-negative
Best tests to detect
  • PCR
Pathogen of
  • Vagina
  • Urinary tract
Commensal of
(Can naturally inhabit, but not necessarily as a healthy addition)
  • Vagina
  • Urinary tract
Optimal growth pH
  • 6
  • 6.5
Conditions correlated with
  • Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
  • General human infection
  • Preterm Birth
  • Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
  • Urinary tract infection (UTI)
  • Vaginal dysbiosis
Cellular adherence capacitiesHigh
Found in healthy vaginasPossibly
Biofilm-forming capacities
  • High
Cellular Morphology
  • Pleomorphic (many shapes)
Microbe Motility
Colony Colour
Substances Produced
Sexually TransmissibleYes

What are the symptoms of Ureaplasma spp.?

What causes Ureaplasma spp.?

  • No causes found for Ureaplasma spp., yet.

What are the risk factors associated with Ureaplasma spp.?

  • No risk factors for Ureaplasma spp., yet.

How do you diagnose Ureaplasma spp.?

  • No diagnoses found for Ureaplasma spp., yet.

How do you treat Ureaplasma spp.?

Treatments for Ureaplasma spp. are only for practitioners and people who purchased the book Killing BV and Killing BV for men.

Which treatments are likely to be ineffective for Ureaplasma spp.?

What complications are associated with Ureaplasma spp.?

References

This entry was posted in . Bookmark the permalink.
SHARE YOUR CART