Mollicutes: Mycoplasma and Ureoplasma

Question 1

What is special about Mycoplasmas cell wall?

Answer 1

NOTHING! It doesn’t have a cell wall!

[not capable for synthesizing cell wall precursors, trilaminar membrane provides sufficient osmotic stability for survival]

Question 2

Which species of Mycoplasma causes feline infectious anemia?

Answer 2

M. hemofelis

Question 3

The family of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma require an exogenous source of what?

What does Mycoplasma require?

What about Ureaplasma?

Answer 3

Require exogenous source of cholesterol (add it to media to grow)

Mycoplasma - most require glucose or arginine

Ureaplasma - require urea

Question 4

What tissues will Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma inhabit?

Answer 4

Mucous membranes

[especially in respiratory and reproductive tracts]

[obligate parasites]

Question 5

When grown in vitro, what appearance do Mycoplasama colonies have?

Answer 5

“fried egg” appearance

Question 6

What kind of infection does Mycoplasma cause?

Answer 6

Persistent infection within host - typically chronic with long incubation periods and mild clinical signs

Question 7

Which species of Mycoplasma causes enzootic swine pneumonia?

Answer 7

M. hyopneumoniae

Question 8

Which Mycoplasma is associated with shipping fever?

Answer 8

M. bovis

Question 9

Which species of Mycoplasma causes infectious sinusitis in turkers and airsacculitis in chickens?

Answer 9

M. gallisepticum

Question 10

Which species of Mycoplasma causes contagious bovine pleuropneumonia?

Answer 10

M. mycoides subsp. mycoides

[not in the USA]

Question 11

Which species of Mycoplasma causes contagious caprine pleuropneumonia?

Answer 11

M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae

[Reportable in US]

Question 12

Which species of Mycoplasma causes contagious agalactia of sheep and goats?

Answer 12

M. agalactiae and M. putrefaciens

Question 13

Which species of Mycoplasma causes urogenital tract infections and abortions in cows?

Answer 13

M. bovisgenitalium (lol)

Question 14

Which species of Mycoplasma causes mastitis and respiratory infections?

Answer 14

M. bovis

Question 15

Which species of Mycoplasma causes pneumonia and inflammation of joints in calves?

Answer 15

M. bovis or M. dispar

Question 16

Which species of Mycoplasma causes septicemia, arthritis and mastitis in caprines?

Answer 16

M. capricolum subsp. capricolum

Question 17

Which species of Mycoplasma causes a systemic infection in young pigs with polyserositis?

Answer 17

M. hyorhinis

Question 18

Which species of Mycoplasma causes arthritis in growing pigs 3-6 months of age?

Answer 18

M. hyosynoviae

Question 19

What kind of antimicrobials can you not use in a Mycoplasma infection?

Which ones are recommended for treatment?

Answer 19

Cell wall active drugs - cause it doesn’t have one duh

Tetracyclines, lincosamides, fluoroquinolones

Question 20

What is special about hemocytotrophic Mycoplasma?

Answer 20

They are pierythrocyctic extracellular parasites

[H. haemofelis, H. haemosuis]

Question 21

What is the principle target cell for M. haemosuis and M. haemofelis?

Answer 21

Erythrocytes

Question 22

What does M. haemofelis cause? What are the clinical signs?

Answer 22

Feline infectious anemia

Fever, anemia, depression, weakness, icterus

Question 23

What stain can you use to ID M. haemofelis?

Answer 23

Wright/Giemsa stain

Question 24

What disease does M. haemosuis cause? What are the clinical signs?

Answer 24

Eperythrozoonosis

Question 25

What tests would you use to diagnose haemocytotrophic mycoplasma?

Answer 25

CBC and Coombs test

Question 26

Which antibiotics would you use to treat haemocytotrophic mycoplasma?

Answer 26

Doxycycline and fluoroquinolone