What is Mycoplasma hominis and how is it transmitted? Ways of transmission of mycoplasma How can a woman become infected with mycoplasma

More than 10 varieties of mycoplasmas are known. But only 3 species can cause disease in humans: genitalium, hominis and pneumonia.

The pathogen actively responds to decreased immunity. In a weakened body, it begins to multiply rapidly. If the immune system is strong, mycoplasma may not make itself known for many years.

Ways of transmission of mycoplasma

To become infected, you need quite a long contact with a sick person.

Mycoplasma hominis and genitalis is transmitted sexually in women and men. Asymptomatic carriage is more common among the fair sex. Such sexual partners are potentially dangerous in terms of infection.

Carriage can also occur in men, but is less common.

A single intimate relationship without the use of barrier methods of contraception does not guarantee infection. The percentage of infection transmission is difficult to determine, since it depends on factors such as the amount of pathogen that has entered the genital tract and the state of the immune system. According to research, the incidence rate after contact with a mycoplasma carrier ranges from 5 to 80 percent.

How is mycoplasma transmitted during anal sex?

The same as with vaginal. After such an intimate relationship, you can also get sick. That is why men who prefer homosexual relationships are also at risk.

Many people are interested in how mycoplasma is transmitted through oral sex. This route of infection is also possible. The percentage of cases is lower than in the case of traditional intimacy, but the danger is still present. The pathogen is not transmitted through a kiss.

There are other variants of infection. The pathogen can enter the body from the environment. Since mycoplasma is transmitted in women through instruments for gynecological examination, it is necessary to use disposable kits.

Cases of domestic infection have also been registered, especially in childhood. Such situations occur after using the patient’s bed linen or personal hygiene products.

How is mycoplasma transmitted during childbirth?

The pathogen is capable of penetrating amniotic fluid, so it is dangerous for the child. If mycoplasma is transmitted to a woman during pregnancy, a course of treatment is necessary. Otherwise, during labor, the child will also get sick in 50-80% of cases.

And for newborns this infection is very dangerous. To ensure that the child is not in danger, future parents need to undergo examination at the stage of pregnancy planning. If an infection is detected, be sure to undergo treatment.

Even a healthy person’s body contains small inhabitants of the Mycoplasmataceae family. Some of them are completely harmless, but there are also particularly insidious ones. Thus, M. hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium are the causes of mycoplasmosis, which can cause complications of various diseases of the urogenital tract. In people with different immune systems, these diseases progress differently. In men, a high concentration of mycoplasma genitalium is the cause of dangerous diseases:

• Prostatitis is an inflammatory process that develops primarily in the prostate gland.
• Orchitis is an infectious disease when the testicles become inflamed. Sometimes the epididymis may also be affected.
• Urethritis is a dangerous inflammation of the walls of the urethra.
• Infertility - damage to sperm and direct impact on fertility.

Although much less common than men, women can also suffer from the presence of this virus on the mucous membranes of their organs. In women, mycoplasma genitalium most often causes vaginitis. This disease occurs against the background of inflammatory processes occurring in the vagina. Mycoplasmosis pathogens can cause endometritis in women in the uterus. This disease is more common in those who have had an abortion. It is often a companion for weakened women immediately after childbirth. If the fallopian tubes are also affected, adnexitis develops. Its final result may be adhesions of the tubes, leading to infertility.

To prevent many STDs or STIs, it is necessary to know how mycoplasma genitalia is transmitted. The main source and route of transmission is contact between partners. However, one should not think that this is only sexual intercourse unprotected by a condom. Cross-infection begins when a patient receives a new cell line from an external source. And here it doesn’t matter at all whether it was ordinary vaginal intercourse or a relationship in a homosexual couple. Any oral contact and anal sex that did not involve protection from the virus with a condom will cause infection. Relationships with new or unstable partners pose a particular danger.

Modern family life has increasingly begun to include erotic games that involve the use of appropriate accessories. If a partner infected with M. genitalium virus used dildos or other toys and then gave them to his lover without disinfection, there is no doubt that an infection has occurred. Mycoplasma genitalium has already found a new organism, but it will develop under favorable conditions. It is very important to maintain hygiene and adhere to the most basic rules for preventing the disease if you do not want to find out for yourself how mycoplasma genitalia is transmitted.

What are the ways of infection with mycoplasmosis?

Mycoplasmas are unicellular, prokaryotic, gram-negative bacteria whose size does not exceed 200 nm. They are the smallest organisms with a cellular structure.

With their size and lack of a cell wall, mycoplasmas resemble large viruses. But their structure and living conditions are the same as those of bacteria. These microorganisms reproduce by binary fission. They are also distinguished from viruses by the presence of DNA and RNA in cells (despite the fact that only one of the nucleic acids is observed in viruses).

Mycoplasmas differ in shape; they can be spherical, ring-shaped, branched, filamentous, or coccobacillary.

How can you become infected with mycoplasma?

Recently, urogenital mycoplasmas have been excluded from the list of pathogenic microorganisms that are transmitted exclusively through sexual contact. Colonization of the vagina with these bacteria is 3 times more common than the urethra in men

The infection can be transmitted in several ways:

• Sexual. Infection occurs through unprotected vaginal intercourse. Many people are interested in the question of what is the likelihood of infection in this case. It ranges from 6 to 80% depending on the individual characteristics of the body and the state of the immune system.
• Oral. Theoretically, mycoplasma can be transmitted through oral sex, but for this to happen, contact with the partners’ genitals must be close and mutual.
• Ascending. In this case, the fetus becomes infected in utero. Many researchers believe that due to their small size, mycoplasmas easily penetrate into the amniotic fluid, where infection occurs (in 35% of cases, these microorganisms are sown). It is much more likely that the baby will become infected while passing through the birth canal. Mycoplasma hominis can be detected in 25% of female newborns, while in boys this percentage is much lower. Also, in premature babies, these microorganisms are found three times more often than in those born at term.
• Hematogenous. Microorganisms are carried in the blood.
• Translocation. Mycoplasmas move from one organ to another.
• By everyday means. In very rare cases, infection occurs through underwear or a washcloth. The infection is also transmitted through the use of untreated medical instruments (spatulas, speculums).

The disease is not transmitted through kissing. You also cannot become infected with genital mycoplasmosis in saunas, baths, swimming pools, through food or cutlery.

The pathological effect of mycoplasma on the human body is associated with the rare biological properties of these bacteria. Due to their small size, the absence of a cell wall and high mobility, even a small number of microorganisms that enter through sexual contact quickly penetrate cell membranes and begin to reproduce.

How is Mycoplasma pneumonia transmitted?

Many people have a question about how mycoplasma pneumonia is transmitted. Unlike other species, Mycoplasma pneumonia enters the body of another person through airborne droplets. Most often, children under 5 years of age become infected. About 20% of pneumonias are mycoplasma.

The disease in most cases manifests itself in the form of headache, hoarseness, rhinitis and is accompanied by an increase in temperature.

Reasons for activation of mycoplasmosis

Often, patients who are carriers of mycoplasma do not show symptoms of the disease. The following factors can activate the disease:

• Impairment of the immune system as a result of hypothermia, chronic diseases, stressful situations or surgical interventions.
• Weakening of the body's defenses during pregnancy.
• Presence of other sexually transmitted diseases. At the same time, mycoplasmas begin to multiply much more actively.
• After mycoplasmosis is transmitted from a sexual partner.

How does mycoplasmosis manifest?

With mycoplasmosis, there are practically no specific signs that accurately indicate the disease. The symptoms that arise may indicate other diseases of the genitourinary system. The incubation period between infection and the appearance of the first signs of the disease lasts 2–3 weeks.

How does the disease manifest in men?

The following symptoms may indicate mycoplasmosis in men:

• Mucus discharge, which most often appears after defecation or urination.
• Pain and burning in the urethra (in rare cases).
• Itching in the urethra.
• Aching pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the sacrum, perineum and testicles.
• Infertility.
• If the disease is not treated, it can be complicated by prostatitis or urethritis, resulting in a painful urge to urinate and a feeling that the bladder is not completely emptied.
• Erectile dysfunction may also occur, manifesting itself in the form of erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation or loss of orgasm.

Typically, mycoplasmas in men colonize in the foreskin and urethra.

>In about 40% of men, mycoplasmosis occurs latently, and the disease can be activated as a result of a weakening of the body’s defenses.

How does the disease manifest in women?

Regardless of the route of transmission, mycoplasmosis can cause the following symptoms:

• Weak mucous discharge.
• Brown discharge between periods.
• Redness and swelling of the external genitalia.
• Burning and itching in the urethra.
• In rare cases, pain in the lower abdomen, worsening during menstruation.
• Purulent discharge from the cervix that is detected during examination by a gynecologist.

Classification of the disease

According to the course, mycoplasmosis is divided into:

• Fresh. Develops immediately after the end of the incubation period.
• Spicy. The symptoms of the disease are pronounced.
• Subacute. Symptoms of the disease are mild.
• Chronic. The disease periodically worsens.
• Carriage. There are no clinical signs of the disease; the analysis reveals mycoplasmas at a titer of 103 CFU/ml.

What is the threat of mycoplasma?

The opinions of doctors are divided, some of them believe that these microorganisms do not play a role in the development of the inflammatory process, while others classify them as absolute pathogens that contribute to the appearance of many diseases.

In their opinion, mycoplasmas can provoke the following pathologies:

• Inflammation of the genitourinary system (prostatitis, urethritis, salpingoophoritis, pyelonephritis). When performing PCR analysis, mycoplasmas were detected in approximately 40.6–76.5% of patients.
• Bacterial vaginosis. 52% of women with this disease have mycoplasmosis.
• Infertility. In 85% of cases, people suffering from infertility are carriers of mycoplasma.
• Pregnancy pathologies (early miscarriage, premature birth). Developmental defects were observed in 50% of stillborn children in whom mycoplasma was detected.
• Fetal pathologies. With intrauterine mycoplasmosis, the activity of the respiratory system may be disrupted, the liver, kidneys, central nervous system and skin of the fetus may be damaged. The baby may be born with pneumonia.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

Since in most cases the disease manifests itself in the form of minor symptoms that the patient may not pay attention to, it is quite difficult to identify it. With proper treatment, you can get rid of mycoplasma in two weeks. In this case, the drugs need to be taken not only by the person who has the disease, but also by his sexual partner, even if he does not have symptoms of mycoplasmosis.

There is no immunity to this disease, and if both sexual partners are not treated in a timely manner, re-infection is possible.

You need to contact the laboratory to get tested for mycoplasmosis in the following cases:

• When identifying symptoms of the disease.
• In the event that there are other sexually transmitted diseases.
• After unprotected sexual intercourse with an unreliable partner.
• When identifying inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs.
• For infertility.
• In the event that a couple is planning to conceive a child.
• If one of the partners is diagnosed with mycoplasmosis.
• If a pregnant woman is at risk of miscarriage or premature birth.
• If an ultrasound examination reveals pathologies in the fetus.
• If the child was born dead or with pathologies.
• With habitual miscarriage.

How to identify the disease

Mycoplasmas can be identified using special tests:

• Cultural method. It can be used to identify Mycoplasma hominis. In this case, a smear is taken from the vagina or urethra. The resulting material is placed in a nutrient medium. The fact that the smear contains viable forms of the microorganism is indicated by a “color reaction”.
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This is the most effective method that allows you to detect the presence of mycoplasma DNA in biological material (smear, blood or semen). The accuracy of this analysis is 99%.
• Linked immunosorbent assay. It makes it possible to detect antibodies to the pathogen in the blood.

Complex treatment of mycoplasmosis

In most cases, the disease is treated at home. Women may be hospitalized during pregnancy if mycoplasmosis threatens miscarriage or premature birth.

Antibiotics are used to treat mycoplasmosis. The drug itself, dosage and treatment regimen should be prescribed by a doctor after a face-to-face consultation and receipt of test results.

In most cases, drugs from the following groups are used:

• Tetracyclines (Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Vibramycin). Drugs in this group are most often prescribed for the treatment of mycoplasmosis.
• Macrolides (Azithromycin, Summed, Erythromycin, Roxithromycin). Drugs from this group allow you to get rid of the infection in a short period.
• Fluoroquinolones (Ofloxacin, Lefofloxacin). They are classified as alternative methods of treatment and are prescribed if tetracyclines and macrolides do not provide the desired effect or are contraindicated.

Drugs used to treat the disease may cause some side effects from the digestive tract (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting), allergic reactions (hives, redness, itching). Manifestations from the nervous system in the form of headache and dizziness are also possible. If they occur, you should stop taking the drug and seek advice from your doctor.

In the complex treatment of mycoplasmosis the following is prescribed:

• Candles: Hexicon, Iodoxide, McMiror.
• Men can be prescribed ointments with the antibiotic Oflocain, Tetracycline.
• In order to restore the functioning of the immune system, immunostimulants Immunomax, Pyrogenal, Galavit are used.
• In combination with antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotics (Linex, Laktovit, Hilak Forte) are used to restore microflora.

The goal of treatment for mycoplasmosis is to destroy pathogenic microorganisms, restore the functioning of the immune system and the protective functions of the mucous membranes. After completing a course of antibiotic treatment, it is also necessary to restore the microflora of the urethra, vagina and intestines.

During treatment, you must adhere to a diet, exclude fried, salty and fatty foods from your diet. The menu should include vegetables, fruits and cereals. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, as this can cause serious side effects and make treatment ineffective.

You also need to lead a healthy lifestyle, walk outdoors more often and exercise. This will improve the functioning of the immune system and enable the body to quickly cope with the disease.

Prevention of mycoplasmosis

In order to prevent infection it is necessary:

• When having sex with a new or unreliable partner, use condoms.
• The condom must be put on before oral sex begins.
• After unprotected contact, you need to urinate, this will make it possible to remove pathogenic microorganisms from the urethra, then carry out hygienic procedures, thoroughly wash the external genitalia with soap. At the next stage, treat the genitals with Miramistin or Chlorhexidine.
• A month after unprotected sexual intercourse, you should consult a venereologist.

At the first signs of illness, you should consult a doctor.

Types of mycoplasma genitalium: tests, symptoms in men and treatment

What is mycoplasma genitalium?

Mycoplasma analysis

To detect mycoplasma in men, one of the following types of tests is used:

1. PCR is considered the main tool for the detection of mycoplasmas. The polymerase chain reaction makes it possible to identify DNA fragments of the causative agent of the disease in the test material.
2. You can also diagnose male mycoplasmosis using the direct immunofluorescence reaction (abbreviated DIF). During this study, the smear is stained with fluorochrome-labeled antibodies. When they are combined with an infection, mycoplasma becomes visible under a fluorescent microscope.

In addition to the types of tests listed, men undergo a urethral smear. Since there is no approved list of tests to detect mycoplasmas, your doctor may order additional tests.

Symptoms in men and modes of transmission

Infection occurs in the following ways:

• sexual transmission is the main cause of infection (infection is possible through vaginal, oral and anal sex);
• infection of the newborn can occur at birth;
• Another possible, but unlikely route of infection could be through household contact (infection can persist on underwear with vaginal secretions and semen).

Important! A carrier of the infection cannot infect a person by kissing or shaking hands.

From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first symptoms, it takes from two to 35 days. The manifestations of this disease in men are not clearly expressed. The clinical picture is similar to other sexually transmitted and non-venereal pathologies of the genitourinary system. This is why diagnosing the disease is difficult.

At the initial stage of the disease, mycoplasma hominis in men or mycoplasma genitalium gives the following symptoms:

• clear mucous discharge from the urethra when urinating;
• in advanced cases, there may be streaks of pus in the urine;
• when emptying the bladder, the man feels a burning sensation and pain;
• The patient is bothered by frequent urges.

As the disease progresses, the following symptoms appear:

• nagging pain in the groin;
• swelling of the testicles and lymph nodes;
• general intoxication.

If, against the background of chronic mycoplasmosis, infection of other organs of the genitourinary system occurs, then prostatitis, arthritis, pyelonephritis and infertility occur.

Types of mycoplasmosis in men

Among all varieties of mycoplasmas, the most pathogenic is considered to be the species pneumoniae, which provokes respiratory mycoplasmosis, arthritidis, which causes arthritis, and the category of genital mycoplasmas, which provoke diseases of the genitourinary system.

Among the genital mycoplasmas, the following types are worth mentioning:

1. Mycoplasma hominis infection in men can be adsorbed on various cells, including sperm. There are seven serotypes of this infection.
2. Mycoplasma genitalium, due to its special structure, can bind to epithelial cells and red blood cells. It is considered the smallest bacterium of all microorganisms existing on earth. Lives in the throat and urogenital tract.
3. Mycoplasma fermentans has unique biological properties. It ferments arginine and glucose, and also adsorbs human IgG immunoglobulins. This mycoplasma causes immunopathological reactions in the human body.

How to treat mycoplasmosis?

When the diagnosis of mycoplasmosis is confirmed, complex treatment is prescribed. First of all, antibacterial therapy is carried out. The choice of drug, dosage and regimen depend on the patient’s age, health status and concomitant pathologies. On average, antibacterial medicine must be taken for 5-7 days. Sometimes simultaneous treatment of several pathologies that have developed against the background of mycoplasmas is carried out.

Mycoplasmosis is often treated with a large number of drugs, the action of which is aimed at:

• to fight fungal infections;
• strengthening immunity;
• restoration of intestinal microflora.

During therapy, a man should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. It is important to stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
2. Nutrition should be complete. All spicy, fatty and difficult-to-digest foods and foods are excluded.
3. Strengthen your immune system, exercise hardening. Moderate physical activity and walks in the fresh air are beneficial.

Important: the effectiveness of treatment is monitored by comparing tests taken at the beginning of therapy and 2 weeks after its start. Both sexual partners should be treated.

Prevention of mycoplasma

The symptoms of mycoplasma and its treatment in men were described above, now it’s time to talk about the prevention of this disease:

1. Avoid promiscuity and unprotected sex.
2. Don't neglect hygiene rules.
3. Some doctors recommend injecting antiseptic solutions into the urethra after unprotected sex with a dubious partner. To do this, use a syringe without a needle.
4. Strengthen your defenses. Eat right, walk more, play sports, get stronger.
5. Visit your doctor for preventive purposes or at the first manifestations of the disease.

And remember, there is no need to self-medicate. After ineffective therapy, the disease can become chronic and lead to many complications. In this case, treatment will require more money and time.

Mycoplasma genitalium: characteristics, tests, symptoms in men and women, treatment

Mycoplasma genitalium (mycoplasma genitalium) is the causative agent of urogenital mycoplasmosis, a sexually transmitted disease. This pathogenic microbe often causes urethritis and other infectious and inflammatory pathologies of the genital organs. Mycoplasma genitalium is a very small microorganism that cannot be diagnosed by light microscopy and It is highly resistant to a number of antibiotics from the group of penicillins and cephalosporins.

Normally, mycoplasmas live on the mucous membrane of the genitourinary organs and are representatives of the microflora of the urethra. Under the influence of negative environmental factors that reduce immune defense, the number of microbes increases sharply, which leads to the development of cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, pyelonephritis and cervicitis. In severe cases, autoimmune pathologies develop, in most cases arthritis. Urogenital mycoplasmosis occurs against the background of infection with other sexually transmitted infections - trichomoniasis or chlamydia.

Mycoplasma genitalium is a pathogen that causes dysfunction of the genitourinary system. Unlike Mycoplasma hominis, this species is characterized by higher pathogenicity and contagiousness, contains less hereditary information and is much less common.

Mycoplasmas occupy an intermediate position between bacteria and viruses. These are small gram-negative polymorphic microorganisms, the cells of which have the form of cocci, ovoids, pears, rods, threads. Mycoplasma genitalium contains DNA or RNA and does not have a cell wall. During treatment, microbes are characterized by high resistance to antibacterial agents.

Epidemiology

The reservoir of infection is a sick person or a bacteria carrier. The spread of infectious agents occurs through sexual, domestic, intrauterine and vertical routes.

Certain painful manifestations of mycoplasmosis occur under the influence of provoking factors:

1. Reduced immunity,
2. Chlamydia,
3. Bacterial vaginosis,
4. Promiscuous sexual intercourse
5. Stressful impact
6. Pregnancy.

During pregnancy, hormonal levels change, the body's overall resistance decreases, infections become more active and chronic diseases worsen. When carrying a child, mycoplasma genitalium often causes miscarriage, infection of the fetus, pathologies of the placenta, and spontaneous miscarriages. Infected newborns develop “perinatal mycoplasmosis,” manifested by dysfunction of the respiratory system, brain, and pathological changes in the blood.

• Leading a promiscuous sex life and frequently changing partners,
• Pregnant,
• Not using contraceptives.

Symptoms

Mycoplasma genitalium causes infertility in women and men. This microbe contributes to the development of prostatitis, urethritis, adnexitis, endometritis, cervicitis, cystitis.

The incubation period of urogenital mycoplasmosis lasts about a month. At this time, mycoplasmas actively reproduce. In women, the disease can be asymptomatic for a long time, which delays treatment and increases the risk of complications. Mycoplasma genitalium is manifested by the following symptoms:

Symptoms worsen during menopause, menopause and pregnancy. Weak symptoms lead to chronic pathology.

Genital mycoplasma is a common cause of bacterial vaginosis, manifested by a “rotten fish” smell from the vagina, and thin and copious grayish discharge. Gradually they become denser and change their color to yellowish-green. In severe cases, purulent bartholinitis develops, the symptoms of which are: fever, swelling of the labia majora, pain and discomfort in the perineum, purulent discharge.

In the absence of adequate therapy, the microbe becomes resistant to many antibacterial agents. After some time, mycoplasma penetrates the uterus, causing the development of adhesions and endometritis.

Men are rarely carriers of mycoplasma. In them, genital mycoplasma causes urethritis and prostatitis. The urethral opening swells and turns red, and slight discharge with an unpleasant odor appears. Patients complain of frequent urge to urinate, pain and pain in the groin, radiating to the pubis, rectum, scrotum, perineum, and lower back. In this case, there is a decrease in fertility and erectile dysfunction. Mycoplasma attaches to the surface of the sperm and damages it. At the same time, its speed of movement decreases, and the ability to fertilize is impaired. Patients develop infertility.

genital mycoplasma in men causes urethritis and prostatitis

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of urogenital mycoplasmosis caused by mycoplasma genitalium is based on data from a survey, examination and medical history of the patient. The presumed diagnosis of the disease is confirmed by laboratory testing of biological material - blood, smear from the urethra, cervical canal, vaginal discharge.

• The cultural or bacteriological method makes it easy to detect the pathogen. The material under study is inoculated on a special nutrient medium, incubated and the growth pattern is studied. The quantitative research method is of great importance for diagnosing the disease. The diagnostically significant number of mycoplasmas requiring urgent treatment is 10 to 3 or 10 to 4 degrees CFU/ml. This classic diagnostic method is currently used extremely rarely, since it is difficult to grow mycoplasma genitalium on nutrient media, and it grows very slowly. This is due to the small number of genes involved in nutrient breakdown.
• A serological test is carried out to detect antibodies to mycoplasma genitalium in the patient’s blood. In the laboratory, a complement binding reaction and indirect hemagglutination are performed.
• Enzyme immunoassay is a common and fairly accurate test for mycoplasmosis, which consists of detecting immunoglobulins M and G. If the analysis detected IgM for mycoplasma genitalium, then an acute process is occurring. IgG indicates a chronic form of the pathology.
• PCR allows you to qualitatively identify a DNA fragment of the pathogen in the patient’s biological material. This research method does not determine the exact number of mycoplasmas in scrapings taken from the genital organs of women and men.
• Direct immunofluorescence is an analysis in which monoclonal fluorochrome-labeled antibodies are stained with the material being tested. If mycoplasma is present in it, it begins to fluoresce and becomes visible in a fluorescent microscope.

Treatment of urogenital mycoplasmosis is etiotropic, based on the use of antibiotics.

The doctor prescribes treatment for urogenital mycoplasmosis for each patient individually. Otherwise, irreparable harm may be caused to the body. Incorrectly selected therapy leads to the formation of resistance in microbes to most drugs and to certain difficulties in eliminating the pathology.

Prevention

Preventive measures aimed at preventing a sexually transmitted disease - urogenital mycoplasmosis:

• Balanced diet,
• Fighting bad habits
• Optimal work and rest regime,
• Use of contraceptives
• Compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules and regulations,
• Treatment of the intimate area with antiseptics - miramistin, furatsilin,
• Exclusion of casual sexual relations,
• Fidelity to sexual partner
• Timely detection and treatment of genitourinary diseases,
• Strengthening immunity,
• Hardening the body
• Maintaining a healthy sexual lifestyle,
• Mutual examination of sexual partners for all possible sexually transmitted diseases.

Video: doctor about mycoplasma, what diseases it causes

Video: mycoplasmosis in the program “Live Healthy!”

How is mycoplasmosis transmitted?

This infection is found not only in infected people, but also in healthy people in the human genitourinary (m. pneumoniae - respiratory) system.

In a healthy person, it is present in an amount that does not affect the flora in any way and does not cause inflammatory processes.

As soon as the number of microorganisms begins to increase sharply, we can state the fact that an inflammatory process is developing. At the same time, there will usually be ureaplasma in the urinary canal.

How can you become infected with urogenital mycoplasmosis?

Mycoplasma is a sexually transmitted microorganism. When the pathogen enters the human body, it manifests itself within a few weeks.

The average incubation period for urogenital mycoplasmosis ranges from 3 days to 3-5 weeks (maximum 2 months).

You can become infected with mycoplasma hominis or the genitalium through unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) with a probability of 4-80%, depending on the person’s immunity and the presence of other diseases. This problem is most often found in women, since it is accompanied by the development of inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system. In men, mycoplasmosis in many cases develops asymptomatically.

The peculiarity of mycoplasma is that it is completely unstable to external influences, therefore it quickly dies outside the human body. This microorganism cannot be transmitted through household means - through a towel, toilet seat, in public saunas or baths.

Quite often you hear a question in a doctor’s office about how mycoplasmosis is transmitted in some public places, including a sauna, public bath or even your own swimming pool in a country house.

Everything is just as simple. Methods of infection with mycoplasmosis in baths and saunas are also sexual.

If people with the infection had sex there, then the partner will definitely have the disease. Towels, linen and hygiene items are practically not carriers of the virus. Mycoplasma and ureaplasma cannot live without certain conditions, which they find only in the human body on the mucous membranes and next to them.

You cannot become infected with genital mycoplasmosis in saunas, baths, swimming pools, through food or cutlery.

Mycoplasmas die very quickly outside the body under the influence of external factors. In a humid and warm environment, these microorganisms can exist for no more than 6 hours. But at the same time, mycoplasmas are very resistant to cold.

Thus, the percentage of infection through household transmission is quite low, but it exists. Cases of infection of women have also been established when using insufficiently well-treated and disinfected instruments for examining the genital organs.

Other routes of infection

You can become infected with mycoplasmosis in the following cases:

• during blood transfusions, organ transplants from sick people;
• during any medical interventions with instruments that are not properly disinfected. This path is more dangerous for women if the gynecological office is negligent in sterilizing reusable instruments. Nowadays, this transmission route is practically excluded, since most instruments are disposable.

Vertical route of infection (from mother to child)

Infection most often occurs at the time of birth as the fetus passes through the birth canal, but in rare cases, a sick mother can transmit mycoplasmosis to her unborn child. The routes of transmission of infection from mother to child can be different:

• When passing through the birth canal, mucus from the woman’s vagina gets onto the baby’s skin and mucous membranes. With this mechanism of infection, children often develop conjunctivitis; in rare cases, the nasopharynx and lungs are affected;
• Intrauterine infection is rare, and mycoplasmas enter the bloodstream and settle in all the internal organs of the child. Due to the fact that the circulatory system of the mother and fetus is not common, the mother’s immunity cannot help the child cope with the infection. With intrauterine infection, all fetal organs are affected and development is disrupted. Children are born weak, with multiple pathologies and sharply lag behind their peers in development. Therefore, it is important to get tested for mycoplasmosis when planning pregnancy. Timely testing and exclusion (or timely treatment) is important because this type of bacteria requires long-term treatment with antibiotics, and in most cases they have an extremely negative effect on the development of the fetus.

Airborne transmission

Sexually transmitted mycoplasmas are quite insidious and require control. Can this microorganism also spread through airborne droplets?

Yes, if we are talking about a species like respiratory mycoplasmosis, the causative agent of which is Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Mycoplasmas that are tropic to the urogenital tract cannot be transmitted in this way.

Airborne transmission means coughing, sneezing, talking, that is, any entry of saliva into the environment and penetration through the respiratory tract into the human body.

Mycoplasma of this species can provoke the development of diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, pharyngitis, and tracheitis. More often it is diagnosed in outbreaks of epidemics.

When infected, after contact with a carrier of the infection and the manifestation of symptoms, the person remains infectious for ten days of active symptoms. Often the disease can become chronic, which increases the risk of the pathogen being released by airborne droplets into the environment. This period sometimes extends to three months or even longer.

Can you get an infection from pets?

There are types of mycoplasma that affect not only humans, but also animals. They can even live on the surface of the soil, on plants. But such microorganisms do not pose a danger to humans.

Mycoplasmosis developing in cats, dogs, not getting through from animals to their owners. This disease can only affect members of one species.

In animals and birds, completely different types of mycoplasmas prevail, and, therefore, infection can only occur between species, that is, not from animal to human.

The article was written based on materials from the sites: www.zppp.saharniy-diabet.com, venerbol.ru, manexpert.ru, izppp.ru, no-zppp.com.

Viruses, bacteria and phages live everywhere. Bacteria of the Mycoplasma order are typical representatives of the opportunistic form of microorganisms that are constantly present in the body of living beings, including humans.

The human body contains more than 16 types of plasmodium - ten of them live in the larynx and mouth, and six types of mycoplasma are localized on the mucous membranes of the urinary tract and human genital organs.

Mycoplasma, as an indifferent representative of the microcosm, can exist asymptomatically in the human body for decades. The slightest malfunction in the body or immune system can serve as an impetus for the development of Mycoplasmosis.

With a certain type of contact, the body becomes infected with an infectious disease, since one can become infected with mycoplasma, which causes inflammatory processes in that part of the human body, depending on the activated type of bacteria.

Structure of a bacterium

Basically, only three types of mycoplasmodium provoke the development of an infectious process:

• pneumoniae

The clinical picture of the disease varies according to gender. occurs with characteristic symptoms that differ significantly from those experienced by the male population of the planet.

Bacteria of the species M.hominis and M.genitalium provoke infectious diseases that affect the urogenital tract. The subspecies M.pneumoniae leads to damage to the pulmonary system, up to the development of pneumonia.

Pregnant women who are infected with this subtype of bacterium develop an intrauterine infection that threatens premature birth.

Mycoplasmodium infection

In some cases, a child is born infected, since mycoplasma is transmitted to the fetus during childbirth from the mother. Girls are more susceptible to the disease than boys.

Maternal diseases, such as inflammatory processes caused by mycoplasmas of the hominis species, lead to the development of the disease in a newborn:

• Pyelonephritis;
• Bacterial vaginosis;
• inflammatory processes in the uterus and appendages.

Also, the development of Mycoplasmosis in a newborn is provoked by the presence of Urethritis in the father - inflammation of the urethra caused by the M.genitalium subspecies.

Whether Prostatitis has anything to do with the development of the disease in newborns and Mycoplasmosis in adulthood, there is no data, and no fundamental research has been carried out.

Transmission of the urogenital form of mycoplasma

In adults, methods of infection with mycoplasma of the species M.hominis and M.genitalium involve contact during unprotected sexual intercourse or anal intercourse, with a probable infection rate of 4.0 to 80.0%. Oral sex does not pose a risk of infection, since mycoplasma is not transmitted through saliva. The incidence rate varies depending on the general condition of the partners, the level of protection of the immune system, and the presence of concomitant diseases.

The presence of Mycoplasmosis in domestic animals does not threaten humans with infection, since the bacterial infection can only be transmitted within a community species.

Routes of infection in everyday life are recognized as unlikely. Also, mycoplasma of the urogenital form is not transmitted through household items. Mycoplasmodium cannot exist for a long time outside the human body. Nevertheless, cases of childhood infection with the disease through the common use of chamber pots have been recorded.

When visiting a gynecologist, a woman must have a disposable gynecological kit with her, as she can become infected through dirty instruments used by unscrupulous obstetricians.

The vertical route of transmission of urogenital mycoplasma includes infection of a child during childbirth. This is the highest risk of infection, accounting for up to 80.0% of all types of damage by urogenital forms of Mycoplasmosis.

Transmission of the respiratory form of mycoplasmodium

The causes of pneumonia in 20.0% of cases are as a result of damage to the body by the bacteria M.pneumoniae. In addition to pneumonia, bacteria of this type can cause:

• tracheobronchitis;
• bronchiolitis;
• Fahrengit.

All diseases caused by the respiratory type of mycoplasma are long-lasting.

Outbreaks of respiratory infection are cyclical and occur every 5-7 years. The occurrence is considered an epidemic, since mycoplasma subspecies M.pneumoniae is transmitted by airborne droplets.

Treatment of both forms of Mycoplasmosis is carried out according to the general scheme of therapeutic treatment when bacterial forms of infection occur. Antibacterial drugs are used for uncomplicated forms. Therapy for Mycoplasmosis that occurs with complications is carried out with antibiotics of the penicillin group with the addition of auxiliary treatments - urethral instillation, immunotherapy and physiotherapy.

Avoiding casual intimate relationships and using barrier contraception helps protect against infection. A woman should be regularly examined by a gynecologist, eat well, and monitor the state of her immune system. Timely elimination of inflammatory foci in the tissues of the genitourinary system is necessary.

Characteristics of mycoplasma

The pathogenic qualities of mycoplasma are associated with the presence of antigens, toxins, aggression enzymes and adhesins. The latter are used by microbes in the early stages for fixation on epithelial cells. Toxins penetrate the blood, contributing to the development of leukopenia, hemorrhage, and swelling. The most pathogenic is Mycoplasma hominis, which most often causes inflammation of the genital organs in women. How is mycoplasmosis transmitted?

Methods of infection

There are various routes of infection, the most common of which is sexually transmitted. Transmission of the infection during fetal development or childbirth is possible. Since the microorganism is unstable in the external environment, its spread through household means is impossible.

Provoking factors that contribute to increased proliferation of bacteria include:

• long-term use of antibacterial and hormonal drugs;
• stress;
• immunodeficiency states;
• alcoholism;
• endocrine disorders;
• bacterial vaginosis;
• surgical interventions.

The risk of infection is high if a person is promiscuous and refuses to use a condom. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in women who do not observe personal hygiene rules, homosexuals and people with other STDs.

Symptoms

The bacterium can cause the development of the disease immediately, or it can remain in the body without giving any symptoms. If there is one reason or another, mycoplasma is activated, causing pronounced symptoms to appear. manifested by inflammation:

• urethra;
• Bladder;
• prostate gland;
• kidney

In women it is most often found:

• vaginosis;
• cervicitis;
• endometritis;
• salpingitis.

A prolonged course of the inflammatory process can lead to infertility. It is necessary to begin treatment of urogenital mycoplasmosis in a timely manner.

The main symptoms of infection in men are pain and burning in the urinary canal, a feeling of heaviness in the groin area extending to the anus, problems with erection.

Activation of mycoplasma in pregnant women can contribute to damage to the brain, kidneys, skin and visual organs of the fetus. The infected child has low body weight due to impaired blood flow. Death can occur in the first days after birth. Infection in the first trimester significantly increases the risk of spontaneous abortion. With perinatal infection, meningitis or pneumonia develops.

How to detect the pathogen

Diagnosis of mycoplasma infection begins with laboratory tests, examination of the patient and medical history. Serological tests provide detection of bacterial DNA. The material for analysis is vaginal secretion, urethral smear, and urine. The preparation is stained and examined under a microscope. If DNA of the infectious agent is detected during PCR, we are talking about the presence of urogenital mycoplasmosis.

ELISA helps to detect antibodies to mycoplasma in the blood. The result is considered negative if all types of indicators have a sign (-). In the presence of IgG class antibodies, we are talking about the formation of immunity to the bacterium. If specific cells of type 2 are present, further diagnosis and therapy are necessary. The absence of antibodies in the blood after therapy indicates its effectiveness. To determine sensitivity to antibacterial drugs, genital secretions are placed on nutrient media.

Therapeutic measures

Broad-spectrum antibiotics (Doxycycline), macrolides (Azithromycin), fluoroquinolones (Cifran), antiprotozoal agents (Trichopol), and local antiseptics (Metronidazole suppositories) are considered the most effective. Oflokain ointment is used to treat the genital organs of men. To prevent candidiasis, which often occurs during the treatment of bacterial infections, Nystatin, Fluconazole, Clotrimazole are prescribed. Probiotics are used to normalize vaginal microflora.

Interferon and Polyoxidonium restore the functions of the immune system and increase the body's resistance. In the presence of pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Additionally, taking multivitamins is recommended. Douching with a decoction of chamomile and sage, Miramistin, helps to alleviate the condition. Both partners should be treated for mycoplasmosis at the same time. Otherwise, the risk of re-infection remains, and therapy becomes useless. A month after completion of treatment, a control test is carried out.

Prevention of urogenital mycoplasmosis involves maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to refuse casual sexual contacts, observe the rules of intimate hygiene, and use a condom during sex with an unfamiliar partner. The activation of mycoplasma infection is prevented by the timely elimination of foci of infection in the body. With mycoplasmosis, you should not self-medicate; if a person shows signs of the disease, he should visit a doctor and start taking medications.

Every adult should know how mycoplasmosis is transmitted.

Such knowledge will help maintain your own health, and sometimes the health of loved ones. In addition, information about the disease itself, prevention measures and treatment will benefit those who have already encountered it in the fight against the disease.

Disease Information

Mycoplasmosis is a disease the development of which is promoted by bacteria, medically called mycoplasma. Such bacteria are opportunistic. This means that within normal limits in the body of any healthy person, such microorganisms are represented by 15 species, but they do not cause inflammatory processes.

Mycoplasmosis is caused by 3 main types of bacteria:

• hominis;
• genitalium;
• pneumoniae

When favorable conditions arise for bacteria in the body, they begin to rapidly multiply. As a result of the release of waste products of microorganisms, malfunctions occur in the functioning of systems and individual internal organs of people.

Mycoplasma genitalium and hominis are bacteria that disrupt the activity of the genitourinary system as a whole or individual organs in both men and women. Such infections usually spread from person to person through close contact. This can be through sexual or household transmission.

Bacteria of the homines type in most cases live in the female body. They lead to a number of diseases, such as vaginitis, inflammation in the ovaries and uterine appendages, and urethritis.

Examinations of men indicate that microorganisms of the genitalium species are most often located in their organs of the genitourinary system, which cause inflammatory processes in the urethra.

Medical studies have shown that often an infection, while in the human body, does not manifest itself in any way. This condition is ensured due to the normal functioning of the immune system. As soon as any disruptions occur associated with weakened immunity, the symptoms of mycoplasmosis make themselves felt. At the slightest disturbance in the functioning of the genitourinary system, you must immediately contact a medical institution. Timely treatment of the disease will prevent its exacerbation and development of a chronic form.

In addition, if you become infected with mycoplasmosis and do not treat it, this will provoke the occurrence and development of prostatitis in males, and in women inflammation processes in the uterus will be observed. Mycoplasmosis can cause extremely unpleasant consequences in pregnant women. This disease causes various pathologies, in some cases, fetal death and premature birth. Untimely treatment or its complete absence will lead to the child becoming infected from the mother during childbirth.

Mycoplasmosis, caused by bacteria like pneumoniae that interferes with the respiratory system, usually has symptoms similar to acute respiratory infections. The patient develops a cough, body temperature rises, and mucus is released from the nasal cavity. Pneumoniae bacteria are sometimes the cause of pneumonia.

How does disease transmission occur?

The main routes of transmission of bacteria:

• sexual;
• from mother to child;
• airborne;
• domestic.

Urogenital microorganisms hominis and genitalium are transmitted from one subject to another through sexual contact. Infection with mycoplasmosis occurs during anal or genital sex without the use of protection. Rarely, there are cases where the disease is contracted during oral sex.

Depending on the state of the immune system of a healthy person, the probability of infection ranges from 5 to 80%. Sometimes men, acting as carriers of the disease, do not have any symptoms.

Urogenital microorganisms cannot be transmitted through a kiss. The household route of transmission is not very common, but makes itself felt. You can catch the infection in public places, for example, a fitness club, swimming pool, if you use household items of a carrier of the disease. However, the risk of infection is quite low, since the bacteria are adapted to exist inside the body; outside it they quickly die.

To avoid the spread of such diseases in medical institutions, especially in urological and maternity departments, medical instruments are thoroughly disinfected. Individual underwear and other household items are also used for newborns.

Mycoplasmosis, caused by urogenital bacteria, can be transmitted vertically, that is, from mother to child. This method of transmission has 2 options: the embryo is infected from the mother through the placental tract and the baby is infected during birth, when he moves along the birth canal. The risk of transmitting an infectious disease in this way is very high.

Microorganisms of the pneumoniae species, transmitted from one subject to another by airborne droplets, namely through kissing, coughing or sneezing, can cause entire epidemics due to the widespread prevalence of infectious diseases. Respiratory mycoplasmas are in some cases the causative agents of pneumonia; they cause diseases such as pharyngitis and bronchitis in people.

To avoid contracting an infection from a sick person, stay at a distance when he coughs or sneezes, ask him to carefully cover himself with a handkerchief. Such measures will reduce the likelihood of the patient’s sputum getting on the surface of the mucous membranes of a healthy person.

If an infection is detected in a pet, then owners should not worry about their own health. Such infections are not transmitted from animals to humans.

Preventive measures and treatment

To treat urogenital mycoplasmosis, patients are prescribed antibiotics, drugs with local and general action against the fungus. The duration of the treatment course can be 1 week. To completely restore the flora, probiotics can be used in complex therapy. For preventive purposes and to prevent the recurrence of the disease, doctors recommend taking medications that can enhance the patient’s immunity. These drugs include various vitamins and immunostimulating drugs.

In case of infection with a respiratory infection, the patient’s treatment course begins with the prescription of antibiotics and drugs aimed at combating bacteria, for example, Tetracycline. In addition, therapy with fluoroquinolones and macrolides will contribute to the rapid elimination of symptoms of the disease. Among them, drugs such as Ofloxacin and Azithromycin are used. In combination with them, means are used to normalize body temperature. If the treatment is correct and started in a timely manner, then positive results can be achieved within 1-3 weeks.

For preventive purposes, people should periodically undergo medical examinations to ensure timely identification of pathogens and immediate initiation of treatment. In order not to get infected from your partner, and he may not even know about the presence of infection in his body, you should lead a healthy lifestyle. To maintain a healthy immune system, you need a nutritious and balanced diet. People's daily diet should include fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, lean meat, high-quality dairy products, and eggs. Washing your hands with soap before eating and after visiting public places will reduce the risk of contracting any type of mycoplasmosis.

To avoid becoming a victim of mycoplasmosis, you should be careful about your health. Protective measures should not be neglected during sexual intercourse; in addition, sufficient attention should be paid to the state of the immune system. Most often, harmful microorganisms attack people with low immunity, since a weakened body cannot resist infection.