What distinguishes mycoplasma from viruses. Mycoplasma: types, causes, symptoms and treatment

Mycoplasmas are microorganisms that occupy an intermediate position in the medical classification between bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Mycoplasmas are small in size (300 nm), which is why they are not visible even with a light microscope; they do not have their own cell membrane, and this brings them closer to viruses.

Mycoplasmas are the smallest microorganisms that can live and reproduce autonomously. Mycoplasmas reproduce by division and budding. Therefore, they are sometimes considered as a transitional step from viruses to single-celled microorganisms.

A large number of types of mycoplasmas are found in the human body, but only three types of these microorganisms are considered pathogenic for humans, that is, under certain conditions, causing disease:

• Mycoplasma hominis
• Mycoplasma genitalium
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae

0Array ( => Venereology => Dermatology => Chlamydia) Array ( => 5 => 9 => 29) Array ( =>.html => https://policlinica.ru/prices-dermatology.html => https:/ /hlamidioz.policlinica.ru/prices-hlamidioz.html) 5

The disease can occur either when the host's immune system is weakened, or when pathogenic types of mycoplasma combine with other pathogenic microorganisms.

A disease caused by mycoplasmas - mycoplasmosis - affects either the respiratory system, causing inflammatory diseases of the throat, bronchi of the lungs, or the genitourinary tract. In the latter case, we are dealing with urogenital (or genitourinary) mycoplasmosis, which is currently a fairly common disease among sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

As a rule, mycoplasmas colonize the vagina, urethra and cervix in women, and the urethra and foreskin in men, causing an infectious and inflammatory process.

In addition, it is known that in men, mycoplasmas can suppress sperm activity, and in some cases even cause their death. In addition to its “main effect,” mycoplasmas can settle in the joint fluid and cause inflammation of the joints.

Strictly speaking, it is not the mycoplasmas themselves that are toxic to humans, but their metabolic products, which damage the walls of epithelial cells and, in addition, utilize cholesterol and fatty acids of the host cell.

For the first time, mycoplasmas were isolated from other microbes during microscopic studies in women back in 1937, and in men later - in 1958, but the fact that they cause a certain inflammation was confirmed only in 1979.

DISCOUNT 25% AT AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CARDIOLOGIST

- 25%primary
Doctor visit
therapist on weekends

It is still not fully understood how Mycoplasma hominis attaches to epithelial cells. It is known that this bond is quite strong, but complete attachment to the cell, as happens with many viruses, does not occur. A strong connection with the host is ensured by several factors: the similarity of the structure of the mycoplasma cell membrane with the membranes of the host organism, the absence of a cell wall and the small size of mycoplasmas. In addition, the introduction of mycoplasmas into the membrane of the host cells makes them more protected from the effects of the host’s immune system.

Mycoplasmas are not resistant to the external environment—they quickly die outside the host’s body, so infection with mycoplasmas usually occurs either through sexual contact or through close household contacts.

Infection occurs through household means through personal hygiene items (underwear, swimsuits, towels, bedding). Vertical transmission of mycoplasmosis is possible - transmission of mycoplasmosis during childbirth. Newborn girls are more often infected in this way, which is due to the characteristics of their body.

In such cases, mycoplasmas can live in a latent form in the child’s genital tract for many years, and under certain circumstances (infection, pregnancy, abortion) manifest themselves in the form of an inflammatory process, for which, it would seem, there are no objective reasons. That is why any inflammatory disease in a woman needs to be treated, starting with finding out the reasons that caused the inflammation. To do this, our medical center conducts tests for hidden infections, which include mycoplasmas.

Over the past few decades, medicine has developed many new methods for diagnosing infectious diseases, as well as methods for their treatment. This also applies to those infections that are sexually transmitted and lead to serious health problems. One of the pathogenic microbes that lead to the development of STDs is mycoplasma, the types of which will be discussed in this article. More than two hundred varieties of these microorganisms live in nature, but only four of them provoke the development of infection. These bacteria were first discovered during the study of pleuropneumonia in cattle. They cause the development of a disease such as mycoplasmosis.

Characteristics and description of the problem

Mycoplasma, the types of which will be discussed below, is a microorganism that does not have a cell wall and lives on plants, as well as in animals and humans, feeding on cholesterol. In a group of the same species there are both large and small cells, which can have a spherical, filamentous, rod-shaped or branching structure. This bacterium is the smallest of all known single-celled organisms.

These microbes grow on media that contain lipoprotein. They use this substance as a food source. At the initial stage of their growth, mycoplasmas require mucin, RNA and DNA. Bacteria are enzymatically inert and enzymatically active. The latter ferment various carbohydrates and dissolve human red blood cells.

After a person has suffered an infection, agglutinating, precipitating, and complement-fixing antibodies are formed in his body.

Classification

There are several types of mycoplasmas:

1. Those microorganisms that are unable to cause the development of a pathological process when infecting a person.
2. Pathogenic bacteria that cause mycoplasmosis.
3. Microorganisms that lead to the development of a latent infection, the manifestation of which is suppressed by the human immune system.

Based on the above classification, diseases such as fresh, acute and subacute, sluggish and chronic mycoplasmosis, as well as asymptomatic carriage are distinguished.

Today, there are about two hundred varieties of these bacteria; only sixteen of them can live in the human body: six on the epithelium of the genital organs and urinary tract (urogenital mycoplasma), ten on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and in the pharynx. Moreover, only four types of microbes provoke the development of a disease such as mycoplasmosis when exposed to certain unfavorable factors. This pathology causes serious health problems.

Mycoplasma: types and differences

Microbes attach to the cells of the mucous membranes of the genitourinary, respiratory and intestinal tracts, as well as to sperm, fibroblasts, tracheal epithelium, erythrocytes and macrophages.

In humans, four types of microbes under certain conditions can cause the development of disease:

1. Mycoplasma pneumonia affects the human respiratory system, causing inflammation in the throat, bronchi and lungs.
2. Ureaplasma urealyticum provokes the development of ureaplasmosis.
3. Mycoplasmahominis.
4. Mycoplasmagenitalium act as causative agents of urogenital mycoplasmosis, which in modern medicine occupies a significant place among STDs.

All these microorganisms are similar in that they die in the external environment, and therefore can only exist inside the human body. In this case, the impetus for the development of the disease is a violation of the immune system. In this case, the bacteria are activated and begin to actively multiply.

Mycoplasmahominis is found in 25% of newborn girls; in boys, the bacterium is detected less frequently. In most cases, infected children experience self-healing over time; this phenomenon is most often characteristic of boys. This microorganism is found in half of sexually mature women age. Mycoplasmagenitalium less common.

Respiratory mycoplasmosis

Mycoplasma pneumonia can affect the upper and lower respiratory system. The latent period for the development of the disease is about thirty days. If the upper respiratory tract is affected, a person may develop rhinitis, and if the lower respiratory tract is affected, pneumonia may develop, which will be accompanied by intoxication of the entire body. This pneumonia is resistant to many antibacterial drugs; it often causes the development of pneumosclerosis and bronchiectasis. The disease is accompanied by chills and increased body temperature.

Microorganisms provoke the development of mycoplasma acute respiratory infections, in which pharyngitis and nasopharyngitis develop, the person’s state of health is satisfactory, and body temperature does not increase.

Mycoplasmosis of the genitourinary system

Mycoplasma (species Mycoplasmahominis And Mycoplasmagenitalium) provokes the formation various Usually, the infection develops acutely, and in the absence of therapy it becomes chronic, which is accompanied by frequent relapses. The latent period lasts about two weeks. Many people ask the question: “Mycoplasma Hominis - what is it?” If such a bacterium is detected in the tests, this may indicate that the person is developing an STD. This is usually associated with disruption of the hormonal and immune systems, hypothermia, pregnancy and other negative factors. Such a pathogenic organism causes the development of urethritis, vaginitis, prostatitis, pyelonephritis, inflammation of the uterus and its appendages, as well as other pathologies of the genitourinary system. If a person is infected with mycoplasma, the consequences can be serious, especially for men, since these microorganisms provoke the death of sperm, which causes infertility.

Causes of disease development

Currently, medicine does not know how pathogenic microorganisms attach to the cells of the mucous membranes. Although this connection is strong, the bacterium does not completely attach to mucous tissues, like many viruses. The strong connection is determined by the similarity of the structure of its cell membranes with the membranes of the human body. Therefore, mycoplasma (the types of which we already know) is protected from the influence of the host’s immunity. In the external environment, bacteria die, so human infection occurs through sexual contact or during labor from an infected woman. In the latter case, a newborn child, especially girls, becomes infected. Household infection is unlikely, but some doctors say that bacteria can enter the human body through contact with personal hygiene items.

The peculiarity of mycoplasmas is that they may not manifest themselves for a long time while in the human genital or respiratory tract. Under certain circumstances, microorganisms begin to actively multiply, provoking the development of many pathologies. To identify the causes of diseases, doctors always prescribe tests for hidden infections.

The risk group includes young women, people with promiscuity, people with inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system, pregnant women, homosexuals.

Symptoms and signs of diseases caused by mycoplasmas

Typically, the disease occurs with mild symptoms (in 40% of cases) until provoking factors, such as hypothermia or stress, begin to affect the human body. Then the infection is activated and provokes the development of serious complications. Mycoplasma in women, the causes of which usually lie in unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner, causes the development of endometritis. This is especially true after abortion, surgery and childbirth. Women complain of heavy vaginal discharge, accompanied by constant itching and burning sensation, pain when urinating. Most often, mycoplasma in women, the symptoms and treatment of which we will consider in this article, is manifested by inflammatory processes in the uterus and its appendages, as well as in the kidneys and bladder. They develop vaginitis, urethritis, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, and discomfort occurs during sexual intercourse. Often the infection leads to the development of cystitis, gardnerellosis, salpingitis, infertility and adnexitis. Adnexitis in this case causes inflammation of the ovaries, a complication of which can be an abscess and adhesion of the ovary and fallopian tube.

Mycoplasma manifests itself in slight discomfort and pain when urinating in men. The doctor will tell you about the symptoms and treatment of this disease when diagnosing the pathology. Over time, the infection leads to the development of chronic prostatitis and inflammation of the kidneys. In medicine, a connection has been established between pathogenic microorganisms and certain types of male infertility. The doctor will tell you how to treat mycoplasma in men, because without timely treatment, the infection spreads to the prostate and testicles, causing pain in the groin area and swelling of the testicles. Therefore, it is important not to delay your visit to a medical facility for examination.

Mycoplasma and pregnancy

Currently, women often experience mycoplasma during pregnancy. Usually during this period the infection worsens due to hormonal changes and a decrease in the woman’s immunity, provoking the development of various complications.

According to statistics, pathology often leads to spontaneous termination of pregnancy and death of the embryo in the early stages. But these pathogenic microorganisms do not affect the fetus itself, since it is reliably protected by the placenta from infection. Inflammation that begins to develop on the walls of the vagina and cervix often spreads to the membranes, they begin to rupture, the water breaks and premature labor begins.

Why is mycoplasma dangerous during pregnancy? The risk of premature birth during this period increases threefold. The infection can also cause ectopic pregnancy or infertility.

If a pregnant woman is infected, she often develops endometritis after labor. Therefore, doctors recommend treatment in the early stages of pregnancy.

Mycoplasma and children

During labor, a child can become infected with mycoplasmosis from the mother while passing through the birth canal. Typically, the infection affects the bronchi and lungs, causing inflammation of the nose, pharynx, lungs and bronchi. The severity of the pathology will depend on the state of the child’s immunity. Mycoplasma in women, the causes of which can be different, does not always lead to infection of the child. In some cases, when children are infected, they spontaneously heal after some time.

But when infected, children develop inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs. Often the bacterium causes sepsis, meningitis, and conjunctivitis. Moreover, the weaker the child’s immunity, the more severe the course of the disease.

Children often become infected in preschool and school institutions. In this case, the infection is transmitted by airborne droplets. But only those children who have a weak immune system become infected, for example, after suffering a viral disease. Usually they develop bronchitis, sometimes pneumonia. In European countries, about 40% of childhood bronchitis is mycoplasma. The main symptom of the disease is a persistent cough for two weeks. In some cases, the infection affects children with bronchial asthma or asthmatic bronchitis, which causes frequent attacks.

The course of mycoplasmosis in children can be different, with frequent periods of remission and relapse. Sometimes the disease may not show symptoms. In some cases, children become only carriers of the infection, which can manifest itself during puberty even in the absence of sexual contact. It is not possible to diagnose the disease in children by examining a smear from the cervical canal or vagina.

Diagnostic measures

After studying the medical history, interviewing and examining the patient, the doctor first prescribes cultural diagnostic methods, which include culture for mycoplasma. It makes it possible to identify the sensitivity of the infectious agent to antibacterial drugs in order to develop effective treatment. For analysis, a swab is taken from the vagina, urethra or urethra, and in some cases urine can be used. The accuracy of this method is 100%, but results must wait about six days.

PCR is also a frequently used diagnostic method for detecting infection. This technique helps to identify bacterial DNA in a patient’s biological fluid (smear or blood). The accuracy of the results is close to 100%.

Often, the doctor will prescribe it will be informative when antibodies to mycoplasma are detected in the blood. The study is prescribed by a venereologist, gynecologist or urologist. The accuracy of the ELISA method is about 70%, results can be obtained the next day.

These diagnostic methods are prescribed in the presence of any inflammation of the genitourinary system of unknown etiology, when signs of mycoplasmosis appear, in preparation for surgery on the pelvic organs, as well as in case of frequent exacerbations of thrush. It is always recommended to get tested for mycoplasma when planning pregnancy, preparing for IVF, diagnosing the causes of infertility, or miscarriage. Usually, together with this pathology, a person is diagnosed with diseases such as herpes and trichomoniasis. The test must be taken by both sexual partners in order to eliminate the risk of re-infection.

When you consult a doctor, he will answer in detail the question of Mycoplasma Hominis - what it is. If this infection is detected in the tests, he prescribes appropriate treatment.

Pathology therapy

The doctor prescribes treatment with antibacterial drugs to which infectious agents are sensitive. In this case, antibiotics must be selected carefully in order to prevent the development of immunity in mycoplasma. Usually the disease is accompanied by other bacterial infections, so the attending physician will select the drug that affects all types of infections. The doctor will tell you in detail how and how to treat mycoplasma in men, women and children. Often several antibiotics are prescribed at once, for example, Azithromycin and Tetracycline. Medicines to strengthen the immune system, vitamin complexes, dietary supplements, and probiotics are also prescribed. Modern drugs are highly effective, the cure rate is about 95%.

Laser therapy is often used in medicine to treat the disease. This technique makes it possible to specifically destroy pathogenic microorganisms. The laser is directed to the urethra and areas where bacteria and inflammation are found. Using a laser, it is possible to relieve inflammation, increase local immunity, normalize blood circulation, and relieve pain. After such a procedure, mycoplasma in men, the symptoms and treatment of which are discussed in detail in the article, as well as in women, completely disappears. But it is important to treat both partners, otherwise re-infection is possible.

Treatment during pregnancy

Since treatment of the disease is carried out only with the use of antibacterial drugs, it is recommended to carry out treatment after the twelfth week of pregnancy in short courses, which will be safer for the woman and her unborn child. Usually, the doctor prescribes antibiotics from the macrolide group, since they are safer than other drugs. Before the twelfth week of pregnancy, treatment of the pathology cannot be carried out, since the fetal organs have not yet fully formed.

In addition, the doctor prescribes probiotics to normalize the microflora in the intestines, as well as vitamins and immunomodulators, which help reduce the treatment period. After undergoing therapy, women should be re-examined to find out whether the disease has been cured. Usually, the PCR method is prescribed for this; the analysis should be carried out only one month after the end of therapy.

Usually, if all recommendations and doctor’s prescriptions are followed, a pregnant woman is completely cured and re-infection does not occur. You cannot self-medicate; it is also not recommended to reduce or increase the dosage of medications, or start using new medications, as this can lead to the development of complications.

A woman should also inform her sexual partner about her disease so that she can undergo treatment with him to reduce the risk of re-infection in the future. Even if a man does not show signs and symptoms of pathology, it is necessary to undergo an examination.

Forecast

If mycoplasmas are detected in a timely manner, the doctor has developed an effective treatment, then the prognosis will be favorable, the patient can be completely cured. In advanced cases, treatment may take a long time. It is also necessary to take into account the development of complications and negative consequences of the disease, which negatively affect human health and life. The attending physician must monitor the patient's compliance with all recommendations and prescriptions.

Prevention

Prevention of mycoplasmosis is primarily based on the use of a condom during sexual intercourse. A person must also have one sexual partner. If you have unprotected sexual intercourse with an unfamiliar partner, it is recommended to get tested for mycoplasma, even in the absence of symptoms and signs of the disease. When planning a pregnancy, both partners must comply with preventive measures; they must be examined for hidden infections, as well as STDs. Such preventive measures help preserve the health and life of future children.

Doctors recommend, for preventive purposes, to be examined once every six months for the presence of infectious and inflammatory diseases, this is especially true for people who have promiscuous sexual intercourse.

Some scientists argue that mycoplasma in women, the symptoms and treatment of which we have discussed in detail above, do not pose a danger to human health and life, others say that the microorganism can provoke the development of serious diseases. In any case, doctors recommend periodic testing for hidden infections to prevent the occurrence of health problems.

Mycoplasmosis - symptoms and treatment

What is mycoplasmosis? We will discuss the causes, diagnosis and treatment methods in the article by Dr. T. A. Ignatenko, a gynecologist with 12 years of experience.

Definition of disease. Causes of the disease

Mycoplasmas are found in humans and animals. At least 14 species of mycoplasmas are found in humans. And there are fundamentally two types of mycoplasmas detected during examination of the human genital organs.

Discovered in 1980, Mycoplasma genitalium is the so-called absolute pathogen along with pathogens of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, chlamydia.

Mycoplasma genitalium is an underappreciated cause of disease in the human reproductive system, a persistent, often asymptomatic infection.

Mycoplasma hominis, described back in 1937, according to modern concepts is classified as representatives of normal flora genital tract of men and women. And only in conditions of immunodeficiency is it capable of uncontrolled reproduction with the formation of inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary tract and their complications.

If you notice similar symptoms, consult your doctor. Do not self-medicate - it is dangerous for your health!

Symptoms of mycoplasmosis

Mycoplasmosis is often asymptomatic. About 20% of those infected with genital mycoplasmas or carriers do not present any specific complaints. Symptomatic patients complain of periodically occurring moderate itching and burning in the genital area, discharge from the genital tract, and difficulty urinating. The course of the disease is often recurrent, especially when combined with other pathogenic or opportunistic microorganisms (usually anaerobes in bacterial vaginosis or viruses), with resistance to treatment.

Pathogenesis of mycoplasmosis

Contrary to ideas about a purely genital route of transmission of mycoplasmas, there is evidence of the possibility of transmission of microorganisms not only in genital, but also in orogenital and anogenital contacts, and in homosexual couples a predominance of rectal infection over urethral infection has been noted. The spread of mycoplasmas is often carried out ascending (for example, in women from the cervix through the uterine cavity, fallopian tubes into the abdominal cavity). Fruit passing through mother's birth canal , infected with mycoplasmas, has the highest risks of infection. Opportunity hematogenous (through blood) and transplantation (during organ transplantation) transmission of infection has been proven in many predominantly foreign studies.

Classification and stages of development of mycoplasmosis

By type of flow highlight:

• fresh urogenital mycoplasma infection (depending on the activity of inflammation and patient complaints: acute, subacute, sluggish);
• chronic urogenital mycoplasma infection (often the absence of obvious inflammation and patient complaints when detected Mycoplasma genitalium or title 10^3 or more);
• carriage of mycoplasmas (detection Mycoplasma genitalium or title less than 10^3 in the absence of any manifestations “suspicious” for the doctor or patient).

By localization possible:

• urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) in men and women;
• vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina);
• cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix);
• endometritis (inflammation of the inner lining of the uterus);
• salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes);
• bartholinitis (inflammation of the large gland of the vaginal vestibule);
• balanitis/balanoposthitis (inflammation of the glans penis);
• (inflammation of the prostate gland);
• orchitis (testicular inflammation);
• epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis);
• pyelonephritis (kidney inflammation);
• proctitis (inflammation of the rectal mucosa).

Complications of mycoplasmosis

Among the potential complications of genital mycoplasma infection are:

There is a high correlation between mycoplasma infection and various types of cancer of organs potentially affected by mycoplasmas.

Recently, more and more studies have shown the relationship with the formation of oncological processes in the reproductive sphere, in particular prostate cancer, purulent inflammatory diseases of the pelvis in women.

Diagnosis of mycoplasmosis

Patients with pelvic inflammatory disease, persistent urethritis or cervicitis, infertility, recurrent miscarriage, before planning a pregnancy or before participating in assisted reproductive technology programs are subject to examination for mycoplasmas.

At laboratory diagnostics They examine material from the urethra (urethra), cervix (cervical canal), the first portion of freely released urine, prostate secretion, and aspirate from the uterine cavity. Culture for mycoplasmas with determination of sensitivity to antibiotics is the optimal search method Search Mycoplasma genitalium carried out by the method PCR . Detection of antibodies to Mycoplasma genitalium And in the patient's blood is considered an unacceptable method for diagnosing mycoplasma-associated diseases.

Women are examined in the first half of the menstrual cycle, no earlier than the fifth day from the beginning of menstruation.

It is also allowed in the second half of the cycle, no later than five days before the expected start of menstruation.

If there are severe symptoms of inflammation, diagnostic material is collected on the day of treatment.

If a scraping is taken from the urethra for research, the material is collected before or no earlier than 2-3 hours after urination.

Before taking prostate secretions, sexual abstinence for at least two days is recommended. The collection of biological material should be carried out strictly before the start of the use of antibacterial drugs or no earlier than 10-14 days after their discontinuation (for local antibiotics), and no earlier than one month after the use of oral antibiotics.

The patient collects the ejaculate into a sterile container independently by masturbation. Collection of prostate secretions is performed by trained medical personnel after prostate massage.

If you plan to examine urine, you should collect the first morning portion of urine in the amount of 20-30 ml in a sterile container. It is not recommended to take the test while taking antibiotics.

Treatment of mycoplasmosis

Mycoplasma genitalium is a microbe that can be detected in a genital tract smear. absolutely crazy , and the disease caused by it is “urogenital mycoplasma infection” (previously called genital mycoplasmosis) subject to mandatory treatment regardless of patient complaints.

The drugs of choice are doxycycline monohydrate and josamycin, although recent studies have shown poor results with doxycycline and recommend repeated use of azithromycin as the primary drug.

In order to avoid chronic infection, the occurrence of complications and resistance of the microbe to antibiotics, when a re-exacerbated infection there is simply nothing to treat, it is advisable to undergo a course of treatment of the disease strictly on the recommendation of the attending physician with adequate dosages of the drug and a course of treatment of at least 10 days.

Detection forces the doctor to prescribe antibiotic therapy in cases :

• clinical manifestations of the disease;
• isolation of microorganisms from patients with infertility, pregnancy loss or in preparation for pregnancy;
• isolation of mycoplasmas during complicated pregnancy, if there is a high risk of infection of the fetus.

Antibiotics are prescribed taking into account the sensitivity of mycoplasma based on the results of culture with an antibiogram. The course of treatment is 7-14 days.

Along with antibacterial drugs, antiprotozoal agents (metronidazole) and antifungal agents are prescribed, agents for restoring intestinal and vaginal microflora, normalizing the pH of vaginal secretions.

The effectiveness of treating diseases caused by Mycoplasma genitalium, assessed 4 weeks after the end of treatment PCR method . When treating diseases caused by , control of the number of mycoplasmas is determined by bacterial sowing method .

What is important is that they are subject to examination and treatment partners a person who is sick or in need of treatment.

Forecast. Prevention

With timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable. Prevention consists of using a condom for all types of sexual contact, especially with a new, untested sexual partner. For women, it is important to maintain a healthy balance and acidity of the vaginal microflora, the disruption of which is facilitated by the uncontrolled, excessive and incorrect use of antibacterial, antifungal, hormonal drugs, poor personal hygiene of the genitals, frequent and excessive vaginal douches, douching, the use of spermicides, intestinal dysbacteriosis, and practices of unprotected anatomy. -genital contacts, etc.

The existence of different types of mycoplasmas, many different opinions regarding the treatment of mycoplasma infection, regimens and proposed treatment methods sometimes frighten and confuse the patient, preventing him from easily, competently and scientifically coping with not the most complex infectious-inflammatory disease of the genital area.

Mycoplasmosis is a disease caused by microorganisms related to rodumycoplasma and occurring with damage to the respiratory system (respiratory mycoplasmosis), the genitourinary system (urogenital mycoplasmosis), joints and a number of other organs.

Etiology

The causative agents of the disease are microorganisms of the Mycoplasmatacea family, which differ from bacteria in their small size (150-450 nm) and the absence of a true cell membrane. Unlike L-forms of bacteria, the absence of a cell wall in mycoplasmas is an irreversible condition. Mycoplasmas are widespread in nature; they can be found in soil, wastewater, and also cause various animal diseases. Human diseases are most often caused by representatives of two genera from the family Mycoplasmatacea—Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. Of the large number of mycoplasmas isolated from the human body, M. pneumoniae, M. hominis, M. genitalium, M. incognitus and U. urealyticum are pathogenic for humans. The first of them - M. pneumonia is the causative agent of respiratory mycoplasmosis, M. incognitus causes a poorly studied generalized infection, the rest are M. hominis, M. genitalium and U. urealyticum cause the development of urogenital mycoplasmosis. Mycoplasmas are resistant to sulfonamides, penicillin, streptomycin, but sensitive to tetracycline antibiotics, macrolides and fluoroquinolones. Mycoplasmas quickly die when boiled, ultraviolet irradiation and exposure to disinfectants.

Pathogenesis

Mycoplasmas (M. pneumonia) enter the human body through the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract or genitourinary organs (M. hominis, M. genitalium and U. urealyticum). In some infected people, mycoplasmas multiply at the site of introduction and do not cause pathological changes, which is regarded as carriage. The presence of mycoplasmas in the commensal urogenital flora, as well as large fluctuations in the degree of colonization, explain the difficulties encountered in substantiating the pathogenic role of these microorganisms. A number of authors consider it mandatory to determine the concentration of mycoplasmas in a sample. They believe that a concentration of more than 104 CFU/ml indicates a high colonization ability of the microbe and the possibility of developing urogenital pathology. Adhesion of mycoplasmas to the membranes of epithelial cells leads to invagination of cell membranes and makes the mycoplasmas in them inaccessible to the effects of antibodies, complement and other protective factors. With the development of inflammation of the mucous and submucosal layers, infected organs are affected - the nasopharynx, trachea, bronchi or urethra, vagina, etc. In some cases, mycoplasmas can hematogenously disseminate into the lungs, joint cavities, bone marrow, meninges and brain. The exotoxin of the pathogen has a toxic effect on the microcirculatory system and the nervous system, causing intoxication syndrome. In the pathogenesis of mycoplasmosis, not only the formation of local inflammatory reactions, but also the development of immunopathology is important. It is associated with the occurrence of arthritis, hemolytic anemia, skin lesions such as erythema multiforme, etc. Combined infection plays a significant role in the course of the disease. Thus, it is known that severe lesions of the respiratory tract, even destructive ones, are caused by a combined infection - in addition to mycoplasmas, pneumococci, viruses (influenza, PC) and other microorganisms participate in the pathological process. In addition, mycoplasmas play a significant role in the activation of the human immunodeficiency virus.

Epidemiology

The source of infection is a person with manifest or asymptomatic mycoplasmosis. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets (with respiratory mycoplasmosis), sexually (with urogenital mycoplasmosis) and vertical (from mother to fetus - more often with urogenital mycoplasmosis) routes.

Clinic

Respiratory mycoplasma infection Clinic. The incubation period is 4-25 days (usually 7-11 days). There are two forms of respiratory mycoplasmosis - acute respiratory disease, occurring in the form of pharyngitis, nasopharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, and acute pneumonia (pulmonary mycoplasmosis).

Acute respiratory disease. The onset of infection is often gradual or subacute, less often acute.

With gradual and subacute development of the disease, body temperature is usually normal or subfebrile, less often reaching 38.5 ° C. In this case, mild symptoms of intoxication are observed in the form of chills, weakness, headache, malaise, and sometimes there are short-term pains in the muscles of the back, lower back, and lower extremities.

From the first days, patients are bothered by coughing or coughing, a slight runny nose, dryness, sore throat, and sore throat. The acute onset of the disease is accompanied by more pronounced symptoms of intoxication.

Body temperature rises quickly and reaches a maximum (38.5-40.0 °C) on the 3-4th day. The febrile period usually lasts from 2 to 10 days, sometimes longer (up to 14 days).

Fever is often remitting or of the wrong type. In 1/2 of patients it is permanent.

In some patients, high fever is the main symptom of the disease. The decrease in temperature occurs gradually or in the form of a short lysis.

Sometimes, after complete normalization of body temperature, repeated increases to 37.8-38.5 ° C are observed within 2-3 days. The second rise in body temperature is usually accompanied by increased symptoms of pharyngitis or bronchitis.

Damage to the lower respiratory tract in the form of bronchitis in acute respiratory mycoplasmosis occurs in more than half of patients. The main manifestations of bronchitis are cough and dry wheezing, as well as impaired bronchial obstruction.

In most patients, the cough is intermittent, but in some it becomes paroxysmal, with scanty mucopurulent sputum, sometimes streaked with blood. X-ray examination of patients does not detect changes in the lungs.

The disease lasts about two weeks, but in some patients it lasts up to a month or longer. Relapses and repeated diseases are rare.

Characteristic for respiratory mycoplasmosis, which occurs as an acute respiratory infection, are signs of pharyngitis, nasopharyngitis and bronchitis. Symptoms of tonsillitis, laryngitis and tracheitis are much less common.

Acute pneumonia (mycopasmosis). Often, already at an early stage of the disease, activation (or superinfection) of secondary bacterial microflora (pneumococci, staphylococci, etc.) occurs.

). A characteristic symptom of pulmonary mycoplasmosis is chilling, which repeats in the first 3-5 days with relatively good health, mild symptoms of general intoxication and small daily variations in body temperature.

Even with persistent fever, patients complain of repeated chills or chills for a number of days. Another typical symptom is a feeling of heat, which alternates with chills and is observed already in the first 2-4 days from the onset of the disease.

Patients note general fatigue, body aches, joints, and muscle pain. In the acute period of the disease, increased sweating is often observed, which can persist even at normal body temperature.

Headache is one of the common symptoms of mycoplasma infection. It is widespread, without clear localization and, unlike the flu, is not accompanied by pain in the eyeballs.

In children, intoxication syndrome is more pronounced than in adults. The leading syndrome of the disease is damage to the respiratory system.

The upper respiratory tract is often affected initially. Mild nasal congestion, slight rhinorrhea, dryness, sore throat and sore throat appear already in the prodromal period and often mask the development of pneumonia.

The most persistent catarrhal syndrome is moderate pharyngitis. Involvement of the bronchi in the process is accompanied by cough, wheezing (mostly dry), and impaired bronchial obstruction.

The cough appears from the first days of illness and, gradually intensifying, lasts up to 3 weeks. By the end of the 1st or 2nd week of the disease, it becomes productive with the release of scanty sputum of a mucous nature, occasionally mucopurulent and very rarely streaked with blood.

In some patients, the cough is debilitating, paroxysmal, leading to sleep disturbances, chest and epigastric pain. From the 4-5th day, or less often later, you can identify symptoms indicating the development of pneumonia.

Mycoplasma causes predominantly interstitial changes in the lungs. Parenchymal lesions are the result of the addition of bacterial flora.

In some patients, along with pneumonia, exudative pleurisy develops, and the right lung is most often affected. In the acute period of the disease, 1/3 of patients experience hepatomegaly, sometimes splenomegaly.

When examining peripheral blood, both moderate leukocytosis and slight leukopenia are detected. The most constant sign is an increase in ESR to 20-60 mm/h.

Complications can be caused by both mycoplasma and attached bacterial flora. Mycoplasma infection is associated with the development of meningitis, meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, hemolytic anemia, polymorphic exudative erythema, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and bullous hemorrhagic myringitis, which are quite rare.

The most common complications are secondary bacterial pneumonia. In addition, otitis media, sinusitis, pleurisy, and lung abscess of a bacterial nature occur.

After suffering mycoplasmosis, some patients continue to experience asthenia and residual effects of bronchitis for a long time. Some convalescents up to a year complain of mild, periodically appearing cough, fatigue, and weakness.

Some people experience arthralgia. X-ray examination of the lungs reveals long-term persistence of increased pulmonary pattern.

Meninaeal forms of mycoplasmosis account for 3-5% of the total number of cases. Serous meningitis, which has a benign course, is more common.

Normalization of the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid occurs by the 25-30th day of illness. Urogenital mycoplasmosis (clinic) The incubation period is from 3 to 5 weeks.

The infection can occur in asymptomatic and manifest form. The asymptomatic form of urogenital mycoplasmosis is extremely common.

Among sexually active people of childbearing age, the asymptomatic form occurs in 10-80% of cases, and the more often, the greater the number of sexual partners the person tested for this infection had. In children and street people over the age of 45, the frequency of detection of the asymptomatic form does not exceed 4-8%.

The manifest form is also most often observed in people of childbearing age. Below is a pathology in the development of which mycoplasmas take part.

The manifest form of urogenital mycoplasmosis can have an acute (up to 2 months) or chronic (more than 2 months) course. The primary manifestations of mycoplasmosis include the occurrence of urethritis, abacterial pyuria, sluggish vulvovaginitis, colpitis and cervicitis.

The severity of infection is of great importance for the development of clinical symptoms of acute infection. Most often, the inflammatory process is mild and does not cause clear clinical symptoms, which is the basis for consulting a doctor during the acute period of infection.

Often the acute period of the disease has a subclinical course, with a tendency to transition to a chronic relapsing form. The chronic course of urogenital mycoplasmosis is accompanied in men by the development of urethritis and other lesions of the urinary tract, prostatitis, epididymitis, testiculitis, vesiculitis and infertility.

In women, the development of urethritis, vulvovaginitis, colpitis, endocervicitis, metroendometritis, salpingitis, pelvic pain syndrome, pyelonephritis, cystitis and infertility. More often, mycoplasma infection occurs in association with other microorganisms, such as trichomonas, gardnerella, chlamydia, fungi and herpes simplex virus.

With the development of ascending infection, the pelvic and urinary system organs, lungs, central nervous system, and joints are involved in the process. One of the common immunopathological complications of the disease is Reiter's syndrome.

The infectious mycoplasma process during pregnancy affects not only the tissues of the fetal egg or fetoplacental complex, but also leads to the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome, which in combination causes the development of the threat of miscarriage, miscarriage, spontaneous miscarriages, gestosis of the second half of pregnancy and pathology of the placenta. In newborns with antenatal infection with mycoplasmosis, damage to the respiratory system, vision, liver, kidneys, central nervous system and skin is observed.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis. Mycoplasma diseases are similar to pneumonia and acute respiratory infections of other etiologies. This similarity is especially pronounced when another viral or bacterial infection is superimposed on mycoplasmosis. Acute respiratory mycoplasma diseases must be differentiated from influenza and other acute respiratory infections. The most difficult is the differential diagnosis of mycoplasmosis with viral pneumonia.

With influenza pneumonia, especially in the first days of illness, as well as with mycoplasma pneumonia, physical changes in the lungs may be scant. However, unlike mycoplasmosis, which often develops gradually with mildly expressed symptoms of toxicosis, pneumonia with influenza in most cases occurs in the early stages of a viral infection against the background of severe general intoxication. Pneumonia with influenza is often severe, accompanied by hemorrhagic syndrome, acrocyanosis, shortness of breath, and tachycardia. Influenza pneumonia can be combined with damage to the nervous system in the form of encephalitis and meningitis.

They occur mainly during influenza epidemics. Pneumonia with parainfluenza can develop both early and late, most often on the 4-5th day from the onset of the disease against the background of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. The addition of pneumonia is accompanied by a deterioration in the condition of patients, an increase in body temperature, and an increase in symptoms of intoxication. In contrast to pulmonary mycoplasmosis, the steto-acoustic symptoms of pneumonia with parainfluenza are in most cases more clearly expressed; interstitial changes are not typical for pneumonia with influenza and parainfluenza.

Pneumonia due to adenoviral disease most often develops in children and can be severe. Almost always, other symptoms of adenoviral infection are also detected (pharyngitis, pharyngo-conjunctival fever, enlarged lymph nodes, spleen). Fever in some cases has a wave-like character. Exacerbations, relapses and protracted course are possible.

Often there is widespread damage to the lung tissue with a tendency to merge lesions. Clinical and radiological changes in the lungs persist for a long time. In adults, with adenovirus infection, unlike mycoplasma infection, pneumonia is rare. They are much easier than in children.

Respiratory syncytial infection, like mycoplasma infection, is characterized by a gradual onset of the disease, mild intoxication, and damage to the lower respiratory tract. X-ray changes are also similar. However, with respiratory syncytial infection, symptoms of respiratory failure, cyanosis, shortness of breath, and often asthmatic syndrome come to the fore; an abundance of physical findings in the lungs with a boxy tone to the percussion sound is characteristic. Clinical and radiological changes disappear faster than with mycoplasmosis.

In addition, respiratory syncytial infection is observed mainly in young children. Unlike pulmonary mycoplasmosis, pneumococcal pneumonia often begins suddenly, accompanied by chills, high fever, severe intoxication, shortness of breath, and in some patients, herpetic rashes on the lips. The sputum is mucopurulent with a rusty tinge. Significant physical changes are detected in the lungs; the pleura is often involved in the inflammatory process.

The majority experience changes in the cardiovascular system. In peripheral blood there is neutrophilic leukocytosis. Unlike mycoplasmosis, penicillin has a good effect. Staphylococcal pneumonia is more common with influenza, is severe, and is characterized by severe toxicosis, high and prolonged fever, cyanosis, shortness of breath, purulent or purulent-bloody sputum.

Physical changes in the lungs are pronounced in most cases. A feature of staphylococcal pneumonia is the early appearance of thin-walled, swollen cavities that can fester. With combined influenza-staphylococcal pneumonia, acute cardiovascular and respiratory failure can develop. Fatalities are observed.

Purulent complications are difficult to treat. Pneumonia caused by enterobacteria (mainly Klebsiella), in contrast to mycoplasma, is more common in the elderly. The clinical picture in most cases is characterized by a severe course, severe intoxication, the possible development of collaptoid conditions, and respiratory failure. Symptoms of intoxication prevail over respiratory syndrome.

The sputum is mucopurulent, often mixed with blood. Pneumonia is large-focal or lobar in nature, in some cases with decay and the formation of cavities. The visceral pleura is often involved in the inflammatory process. Complications such as lung abscesses and purulent pleurisy are observed.

Extensive fibrosis and bronchiectasis may develop. Pneumonia caused by Klebsiella is difficult to treat. There is a relatively high mortality rate. With ornithosis pneumonia, unlike mycoplasma pneumonia, there are no signs of damage to the upper respiratory tract; general toxic symptoms are more pronounced.

Patients are often lethargic, complaining of weakness, headache, aching muscle pain, sleep disturbances, and loss of appetite. An increase in body temperature can last for 2-3 weeks, sometimes relapses occur with a second wave of fever. Symptoms of respiratory damage appear later. There is a discrepancy between severe intoxication and relatively minor physical changes.

In some cases, changes in the pleura are detected clinically and radiologically. Enlargement of the liver and spleen is often detected. The diagnosis of ornithosis pneumonia is helped by epidemiological history (contact with birds), the results of serological and allergic reactions. Laboratory methods are of great importance for the diagnosis of mycoplasmosis.

More often they use serological reactions (RSC, indirect hemagglutination). For early diagnosis of the disease, the method of immunofluorescence of smears is used - imprints of nasopharyngeal and bronchial washings.

Prevention

Specific prevention has not been developed. Otherwise, the prevention of respiratory mycoplasmosis corresponds to measures for other anthroponotic respiratory infections. Prevention for urogenital mycoplasmosis includes: examination for urogenital infection of those getting married, pregnant women, newborns, sanitation of patients with urogenital infection, compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and sterilization regime in medical institutions; chlorination and disinfection of water in swimming pools; sanitary educational work.

Diagnostics

To confirm the diagnosis, a bacteriological method is used (cultivation of mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas on solid and liquid media), in which swabs from the back of the pharynx, sputum, pleural effusion, biopsy samples of the bronchial mucosa, as well as material taken with a swab from the nasopharynx, urethra, and cervical canal are examined. . Serological and immunochemical diagnostic methods - RSK, RNGA, ELISA - are widely used. Blood for research is taken from a vein in the first days of illness (up to the 6th day) and after 10-14 days. An increase in antibody titer of 4 times or more is considered diagnostic. The diagnosis can also be confirmed using molecular biological methods (PCR, hybridization).

Treatment

Patients with severe disease and mycoplasmosis complicated by bacterial pneumonia are subject to hospitalization. The drugs of choice in the treatment of mycoplasma infection are macrolides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones. For uncomplicated forms of respiratory mycoplasmosis, one of the following drugs is prescribed: erythromycin 1 g per day (in 4 doses), midecamycin (macropen) 0.4 g 3 times a day, roxithromycin (rulid) 0.15 g 2 times a day, josamycin (vilprafen) 0.5 g 3 times a day, clarithromycin (klacid) 0.25 g 2 times a day, azithromycin (sumamed) 0.5 g (2 capsules) 1 time per day on the first day and 0.25 g each in subsequent courses, 7-10 days.

Tetracyclines can be used: tetracycline 1 g per day, metacycline (Rondomycin) 0.3 g 2-3 times a day, doxycycline (Vibramycin) 0.1 g 2 times a day for 7-10 days. In some cases, fluoroquinolones can also be used: moxifloxacin (Avelox) 0.4 g per day, in the same course.

In complicated forms of the disease, the course of antibiotic therapy is increased to 10-14 days, while antibacterial drugs are added taking into account the supposed etiotropic factor that caused the complications. Etiotropic therapy must be combined with pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy.

In the treatment of urogenital mycoppasmosis, the same ethmotropic agents can be used, excluding erythromycin, to which M. hominis is usually not sensitive.

In the treatment of chronic forms of urogenital mycoplasmosis, immune-oriented and local therapy becomes of great importance. The goal of immune-oriented therapy is to correct the immunodeficiency state that has caused the chronic course of the disease and has intensified against its background.

It is carried out taking into account immunogram parameters. Local therapy is carried out simultaneously with systemic antibiotic therapy for 5-7 days.

Typically, ethmotropic, anti-inflammatory drugs and enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, etc.) are used in the form of installations or using cotton-gauze swabs to treat the vagina.

Immediately after its completion, a course of local and systemic treatment with probiotics (lactobacterin, bifidumbacterin, etc.) is carried out.

The criterion for cure of chronic urogenital mycoplasmosis is negative results of culture of the material 10 days after the end of treatment and subsequent triple culture during 3 menstrual cycles in the period before menstruation.

Attention! The described treatment does not guarantee a positive result. For more reliable information, ALWAYS consult a specialist.

Morphologically, mycoplasmas are pleomorphic - among them in shape there are spherical, ovoid and filamentous cells measuring 125 - 250 nm. The sizes of mycoplasmas were determined by the filtration method at the end of the 19th century by W. Elford. Cells are covered with a cytoplasmic membrane, within which all cellular components are located. They do not form spores, have no capsules, and are immobile.

Mycoplasmas include aerobes and anaerobes, mesophylls, psychrophiles and thermophiles. They are gram-negative; when stained according to Romanovsky-Giemsa, mycoplasmas are stained blue-violet.

Everything more elementary than the body has the ability to reproduce. During the development process, several thread-like outgrowths appear on the elementary body, in which spherical bodies are formed. Gradually, the threads become thinner and chains with clearly defined spherical bodies are formed. Then the filaments are divided into fragments and the spherical bodies are released.

Reproduction of some mycoplasmas occurs by budding daughter cells from larger spherical bodies. Mycoplasmas multiply by transverse division if the processes of mycoplasma division proceed synchronously with the replication of the nucleoid DNA. When synchrony is disturbed, filamentous forms are formed, which are subsequently divided into coccoid cells.

Mycoplasmas occupy an intermediate position between bacteria and viruses.

Interest in mycoplasmas is due to their wide distribution among people, animals, birds and plants.

For the first time, L. Pasteur drew attention to this group of microorganisms when studying the causative agent of pleuropneumonia in cattle, but Pasteur was unable to isolate this pathogen in its pure form, since these microorganisms did not develop on the nutrient media available at that time. In 1898, E. Nokar and E. Roux developed a recipe for a complex nutrient medium for the causative agent of pleuropneumonia.

Mycoplasmas are widespread in the environment.

Currently, mycoplasmas are found in soil, wastewater, various substrates, in the body of humans, animals and plants.

Among the mycoplasmas isolated to date, there are free-living saprophytic species, as well as those living in animal or plant organisms. There are both commensals of humans and animals, as well as pathogens for them, capable of causing infectious diseases.

Currently, many types of mycoplasmas are considered as conditionally pathogenic microorganisms that can cause latent or chronic infection, especially when the body’s resistance decreases under the influence of various factors.

It has been proven that mycoplasmas are one of the etiological factors in human respiratory and urogenital diseases.

Mycoplasmas were isolated from people with leukemia.

The source of pathogenic mycoplasmas are carriers or sick people and animals. Mycoplasmas are released into the environment through bronchial mucus, urine and milk.

Infection with mycoplasmas is mainly carried out by airborne droplets and, to a lesser extent, through nutrition or contact when the integrity of the mucous membranes or skin is damaged. Infection with mycoplasmas can also occur through sexual contact.

In humans, pathogenic mycoplasmas affect the respiratory system, cardiovascular, genitourinary and central nervous systems.

It is often isolated from sick people M. pneumoniae, M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealiticum.

M. pneumoniae Most often causes rhinitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and focal pneumonia in children aged 3 to 7 years, often characterized by a protracted course and complications.

M.hominis is the causative agent of pleuropneumonia, inflammatory processes of the genitals, nonspecific urethritis, prostatitis, non-gonococcal arthritis, endocarditis.

U.urealiticum, belonging to the T-group of mycoplasmas, they cause non-gonococcal urethritis in humans.

Mycoplasmas cause diseases in African, Asian, and South American monkeys.

Species of mycoplasmas pathogenic for humans were isolated from sick monkeys from the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, urogenital, and intestinal tracts - M.hominis, M.salivarium, M.buccale, M.jrfle, M.faucium, M.fermentans, U.urealyticum. In addition, species of mycoplasmas were found in monkeys that cause diseases only in these animals - M.primatium, M.moatsii, and Acholeplasma laidlawii.

From sick monkeys, as well as from sick people, mycoplasmas are isolated with a very high frequency from the lungs and parenchymal organs in cases of nephritis, splenomegaly, and lymphadenomopathy.

Currently, the etiological role of mycoplasmas in infectious diseases of animals is undeniable.

Mycoplasmas are the etiological factor of pleuropneumonia in goats, infectious agalactia of goats and sheep, and cause infection in dogs, cats, horses, camels, deer, and wild animals.

In cattle, mycoplasmas cause mastitis, arthritis, abortion, polyarthritis, pneumonia, catarrhal bronchopneumonia in calves and young animals. The diseases are difficult to treat and are often fatal.

From cattle, mycoplasmas are isolated from the semen of young bulls, the joints of calves, from tear fluid, from udder tissue and subudder lymph nodes from cows with mastitis, from the urethra. Mycoplasmas are also isolated from the carpal and hock joints of calves and cows with polyarthritis, from amniotic fluid, as well as from environmental objects (bedding, equipment).

The most common types of mycoplasmas isolated from sick calves, young animals, adult cows and bulls M.bovigenitalium, M.bovirinia, M.laidlawii, M.canadense, M.bovirginis, M.arginine, M.gatae, M.galinarum, Acholeplasma nodicum, A.laidlawii.

In pigs, mycoplasmas cause pneumonia and affect the brain, immune and hematogenous systems, and serous integument.

Isolate from sick pigs M.suipneumoniae, V.hyorhinis, M.arginini, M.hyosynoviae, M.laidlawii, M.granularum, M.hyoneumoniae.

In mice, mycoplasmosis with damage to the immune system is caused by the species M. pulmonis.

Currently, several types of mycoplasmas are known that can cause diseases in birds.

Avian respiratory mycoplasmosis is one of the components of the general problem of mycoplasmosis caused by different types of mycoplasmas in birds, animals, humans, and plants.

The significant role of mycoplasmas in the development of diseases of the respiratory system, reproduction and joints in birds has been established.

Mycoplasmas in birds cause chronic inflammatory processes in the airways, damage to the kidneys, blood vessels with impaired microcirculation, mucoid swelling of the endocardium, focal damage to the walls of myocardial blood vessels, and pleuropneumonia. Mycoplasmas penetrate the oviduct, ovaries, and egg follicles.

Mycoplasmas cause increased mortality of embryos, chickens and hens, contribute to a decrease in the hatchability of young animals, cause a delay in egg laying, a decrease in the rate of growth and development, and contribute to increased susceptibility to pathogenic agents (bacteria, viruses, etc.).

Mycoplasmas cause diseases not only in animals, but also in plant organisms.

In the natural conditions of the plant world, mycoplasmas are spread by beetles, leafhoppers, psyllids, butterflies and their caterpillars, ants and other insects.

Currently, more than 40 diseases caused by mycoplasmas have been described among Asteraceae, Solanaceae, Legumes, and Rosaceae.

Mycoplasmas cause phylloidy in clover (greening of flowers occurs and no seeds are formed); in potatoes, they cause mosaic of tubers, curling of leaves, wilting of the trunk, as a result of which the plant dies.

Mycoplasmas cause jaundice in peach, carrots and asters; when grapes are infected with mycoplasmas, short nodes, leaf curl, marbling and necrosis develop. When hops are damaged, chlorotic mosaic, leaf curl, and dwarfism develop.

Many flowers suffer from mycoplasmosis (periwinkle, chrysanthemums, nightshade, datura, carnations, tulips, gladioli, dahlias, etc.). In case of infection with mycoplasmas, black currants develop doubleness, raspberries develop dwarfism and curling of leaves, strawberries develop wrinkling and curling of leaves, and mulberries develop small leaves. Wheat affected by mycoplasmas develops pale green dwarfism, small shoots are formed, ears are not filled with grain, rice develops chlorosis, yellow dwarfism, growth and development are delayed. Mycoplasmas cause growth retardation in corn.

Mycoplasma diseases also cause diseases in fruit trees. Apple trees and apricots develop mosaic spotting and leaf curling, pears become depleted and die, citrus fruits develop psorosis, and plums develop warts.

Mycoplasmas often cause diseases in plant organisms in association with viruses.

Currently, several dozen diseases of flower and ornamental plants are known that are caused by mycoplasmas in combination with viruses.

Systematic distribution of some mycoplasma species
Family
Mycoplasmataceae	Mycoplasma	M.agalactae bovis, M.anatis, M.arthritidis, M.bovigenitalium, M.bovirginis, M.buccale, M.faucium, M.fermentans, M.gallisenticum, M.genitalium, M.hominis, M.hyorhinis, M .laidlawii, M.lipophilium, M.meleagridis, M.mycoides, M.orale, M.pneumoniae, M.phragilis, M.primatum, M.salivarium, M.suipneumoniae, Ureaplasma urealyticum and others (more than 70 species)