الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Mycoplasmas are the smallest cell free-life micro-organisms. They are spherical to filamentous cells with no cell walls, therefore they are unaffected by most antibiotics such as penicillin that target cell wall synthesis. They can be isolated as commensals or pathogens from plants, insects, animals and humans. Some of them are considered normal flora of the respiratory or genitourinary tract. They can be parasitic or saprophytic. Several species are pathogenic in humans, including; M. pneumonia, M. genitalium, U. urealyticum, M. hominis, M. fermentans, M. pirum and M. penetrans. Some species are recognized as human pathogens affecting the urogenital tract including; U. urealyticum which is considered to be a cause of chorioamnionitis and premature delivery, they are frequently transmitted from mothers to their infants, and this may cause various diseases which include pneumonia, persistent pulmonary hypertension, chronic infection of the central nervous system and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and M. hominis which is associated with respiratory disease and pharyngitis, it has also been associated with non-specific vaginitis, endometritis, and salpingitis, development of female infertility has also been suggested . |