What are Chlamydia and Mycoplasma

Chlamydia and mycoplasma are two very common pathogens in our lives, which can induce various diseases in us in certain cases. Chlamydia and mycoplasma infections are the most common and many people may have heard of them. However, when it comes to the specific situation of Chlamydia and Mycoplasma, many people don’t know much about it. So, what are Chlamydia and Mycoplasma? Let’s take a closer look below.

Chlamydia

Chlamydiae are a group of extremely small, non-motile microorganisms that grow exclusively within cells. Chlamydia can be divided into four types, namely Chlamydia pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia bovis.

Chlamydia is a Gram-negative pathogen, a type of prokaryotic microorganism that can pass through bacterial filters, parasitize within cells, and have a unique development cycle. Chlamydia is an organism that is smaller than bacteria but larger than viruses. It is an obligate intracellular parasitic pathogen similar to bacteria and viruses, with a two-phase life cycle. It does not have the ability to synthesize high-energy compounds ATP and GTP, and must be provided by host cells, thus becoming an energy parasite. It is mostly spherical or heap-shaped, has a cell wall and a cell membrane, is a prokaryotic cell, and generally parasitizes in animal cells. Currently, four types of chlamydia are distinguished: trachoma, pneumonia, parrots and livestock.

Pathogenicity

Chlamydia pneumoniae is considered a common cause of pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory infections; Chlamydia bovis only exists in cattle and sheep; Chlamydia psittaci can cause psittacosis, which is transmitted to humans by inhaling dry dust particles from infected bird excrement. The disease often causes high fever, headache, muscle pain, chills and upper and lower respiratory tract discomfort. Some patients may also develop encephalitis, myocarditis or thrombophlebitis. In addition to causing trachoma, Chlamydia trachomatis is also a recognized source of sexually transmitted diseases. In non-gonococcal urethritis, almost half are caused by Chlamydia trachomatis infection. It can also cause urethral syndrome and lymphogranuloma venereum, male urethritis, epididymitis, female infertility, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, etc. Infection in newborns through the birth canal can cause neonatal ophthalmia or neonatal pneumonia. Chlamydia trachomatis can also cause pneumonia in adults and is very harmful to pregnant women, causing ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, chorioamnionitis, premature birth, etc.

Mode of transmission

1. Sexual transmission

Sexual transmission is a direct route of transmission and is a common cause of chlamydia infection. If you do not pay attention to hygiene during sex, or have too many sexual partners, or have sex too frequently, it is easy to get chlamydia infection and you are also likely to be infected with other diseases. Therefore, you must ensure a healthy sex life and prohibit having multiple sexual partners.

2. Indirect transmission

There are many indirect transmission routes of chlamydia infection, such as sharing towels, clothes and other personal items with patients, using equipment used by patients, or sharing a swimming pool with patients, etc. These situations may lead to chlamydia infection. Therefore, female friends must be careful not to share personal belongings and try not to come into contact with patients infected with chlamydia, so as to reduce the chance of infection.

3. Vertical transmission from mother to child

Mother-to-child Chlamydia trachomatis infection can be transmitted through birth canal contact, intrauterine infection and puerperal infection, among which birth canal contact infection is more common.

Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma is a type of minimal prokaryotic cell-type microorganism that has no cell wall, is highly polymorphic, can pass through filters, and can be cultured and proliferated in artificial culture media. Because they can form filamentous and branched shapes, they are called mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas are widely present in humans and animals. Most of them are non-pathogenic. The mycoplasmas that are pathogenic to humans mainly include Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, and Mycoplasma genitalium. Macrophages, IgG and IgM all have certain killing effects on mycoplasma.

Pathogenicity

Mycoplasma has weak pathogenicity and generally does not invade the blood, but it can bind to host cells through adhesion, obtain lipids and cholesterol from the cell membrane, and damage the cell membrane. Ureaplasma urealyticum can decompose urea to release large amounts of ammonia, which is toxic to cells.

Main pathogenic mycoplasma

1. Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the pathogen that causes mycoplasma pneumonia, and can also cause upper respiratory tract infections and chronic bronchitis. It is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract and can occur throughout the year, but is more common in late summer and early autumn. The incidence rate is higher in people aged 1 to 15 years old. The symptoms are mild, including irregular fever, headache, and irritating cough. Sometimes, instead of bronchopneumonia, some patients may develop complications outside the respiratory tract, such as rash, cardiovascular and neurological symptoms. Isolation culture, serological tests, etc. are commonly used in clinical examination.

2. Other Mycoplasmas

Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, and Mycoplasma genitalium are pathogens that cause human urogenital tract infections. They are transmitted through sexual contact, causing urogenital tract infections such as urethritis and prostatitis. They can also be transmitted through the placenta, causing premature birth, spontaneous abortion, congenital malformations, stillbirth, and infertility. Infection through the birth canal can cause neonatal pneumonia or meningitis.