Ureaplasma is a particularly small bacterium belonging to the family Mycoplasmataceae (commonly known as mycoplasma). There are seventeen identified species, most usually found in the respiratory and urogenital tracts. The 2 Ureaplasma biovars, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum, are now designated as separate species. Separation of these species is not possible except via molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Therefore, they are now considered together as Ureaplasma species. U parvum is generally the most common species detected in various clinical specimens but U urealyticum is more pathogenic in conditions such as male urethritis. This differential pathogenicity at the species level has not been shown consistently for other disease conditions.
Urealyticumis commonly found in the genital flora of sexually active men and women. It is found in about 70% of sexually active humans, and is usually commensal (harmless and symptom-free). You have a high chance of being infected with it if you have unprotected sex with someone who has had other sexual partners, and your chances of infection increase exponentially with the number of different partners.
Ureaplasma is extremely contagious, and is most often spread through sexual contact and unprotected sex with multiple partners. In more extreme cases, you can become infected if you touch an infected person’s nose or eye secretions, or if an infected person coughs in your face.
Even if you have no symptoms, you can still pass the microorganisms in your genitals to your partner(s). This is why so many adults are infected – the infected source person has no symptoms, and usually the person they infect also shows no symptoms
Symptoms
- For most people, Ureaplasma remains in the genitals and has no effect or symptoms.
- A continual dull ache or pain around the genitals or lower abdomen.
- Burning or pain when urinating.
- Ureaplasma has been associated with a number of diseases such as non-specific urethritis (NSU) and sterile pyuria.
- Prostatitis(inflammation of the prostate gland) causing more frequent urination or reduced urine flow.
- Inflammation of testicles, urethra, epididymis, fallopian tubes, other areas of the body depending on where the infection was received.
- Fatigue
- Whether Ureaplasma can cause infertility, chorioamnionitis, stillbirth, premature birth, and, in the perinatal period, pneumonia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and meningitis is contentious.
If infection with this bacterium goes undetected, untreated or recurs, it reduces the fertility of both men and women, causes internal scarring, and has been implicated as the cause in preterm births, stillbirths, sepsis in newborn.
Test Options
STI-9*: Identification in a panel of 9 STI’s
Ureaplasma Uryalyticum/Parvum: Identification and differentiation of species.
*The STI9 test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Caribbean Genetics. It has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or local regulations
Learn more about Ureaplasma
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/u/ureaplasma_urealyticum/intro.htm
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/231470-overview
http://www.healthexpress.co.uk/ureaplasma.html
http://www.thesticlinic.com/ureaplasma-urealyticum.aspx
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Ureaplasma_and_Mycoplasma
