Wall-less bacteria

Question 1

What lab finding is useful to help diagnose Ureaplasma urealyticum?

Answer 1

urease positive

Question 2

Identify the major virulence/toxicity factor associated with Mycoplasma pneumonia. (1)

Answer 2

autoantibodiesa re produced against body’s own RBC’s (cold agglutinins).

Question 3

What lab findings are useful to help diagnose Mycoplasma pneumonia? (4)

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

How does an X-ray appear in a Mycoplasma infection?

Answer 4

Streaky, much worse than the patient appears

Question 5

What are the clinical manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumonia? (6)

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

How is Mycoplasma pneumonia transmitted?

Answer 6

human to human, via respiratory droplets.

Question 7

What is the morphology of Ureaplasma urealyticum?

Answer 7

wall-less bacteria

Question 8

What is the major reservoir for Mycoplasma pneumonia?

Answer 8

humas

Question 9

Which organism lacks a cell wall?

Answer 9

mycoplasma

Question 10

What is the morphology of Mycoplasma pneumonia?

Answer 10

wall-less bacteria

Question 11

Why can’t Mycoplasma infections be treated with penicillin?

Answer 11

mycoplasma has no cell wall.

Question 12

What is special about the mycoplasma cell “wall”?

Answer 12

only bacterial membrane containing cholesterol

Question 13

What can you test for in the blood of patient with Mycoplasma?

Answer 13

They have high titers of cold agglutinins (IgM)

Question 14

Mycoplasma pneumonia causes what type of infection? Describe the symptoms. Which age group is it most common in?

Answer 14

classic cause of atypical walking pneumonia. Insidious onset, headache, nonproductive cough, diffuse interstitial infiltrate. More common in patients under 30.

Question 15

What is remarkable about the morphology of Mycoplasma pneumonia?

Answer 15

is considered the smallest free living organism.

Question 16

What agar is Mycoplasma grown on?

Answer 16

eaton’s agar

Question 17

What are the clinical manifestations of Ureaplasma urealyticum? (2)

Answer 17

Non-gonoccocal urethritis, lower urinary tract infection