Wall-less bacteria Flashcards
What lab finding is useful to help diagnose Ureaplasma urealyticum?
urease positive
Identify the major virulence/toxicity factor associated with Mycoplasma pneumonia. (1)
autoantibodiesa re produced against body’s own RBC’s (cold agglutinins).
What lab findings are useful to help diagnose Mycoplasma pneumonia? (4)
grows very slowly on artificial media; colonies have fried egg appearance; cold agglutinins in serum has highest diagnostic value in half of patients; confirmation is a 4-fold increase in specific Ab titres.
How does an X-ray appear in a Mycoplasma infection?
Streaky, much worse than the patient appears
What are the clinical manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumonia? (6)
primary atypical walking pneumonia-chronic non-productive cough, malaise, muscle soreness. May gradually progress to productive cough with severe fatigue. Maculopapular rash (10-20%). Complications include: bullous myringitis, hemolytic anemia, polyarthralgia, peripheral neuropath, meningoencephalitis, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
How is Mycoplasma pneumonia transmitted?
human to human, via respiratory droplets.
What is the morphology of Ureaplasma urealyticum?
wall-less bacteria
What is the major reservoir for Mycoplasma pneumonia?
humas
Which organism lacks a cell wall?
mycoplasma
What is the morphology of Mycoplasma pneumonia?
wall-less bacteria
Why can’t Mycoplasma infections be treated with penicillin?
mycoplasma has no cell wall.
What is special about the mycoplasma cell “wall”?
only bacterial membrane containing cholesterol
What can you test for in the blood of patient with Mycoplasma?
They have high titers of cold agglutinins (IgM)
Mycoplasma pneumonia causes what type of infection? Describe the symptoms. Which age group is it most common in?
classic cause of atypical walking pneumonia. Insidious onset, headache, nonproductive cough, diffuse interstitial infiltrate. More common in patients under 30.
What is remarkable about the morphology of Mycoplasma pneumonia?
is considered the smallest free living organism.