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What is a Mycoplasma Infection?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

A mycoplasma infection is contamination with the organism called mycoplasma pneumoniae, and these are tiny organisms that are neither bacteria nor viruses. They have been thought both over time, but now they are considered are in a class of their own. When people have a mycoplasma infection, this condition normally will mostly affect the respiratory tract, though it begins very much like a common cold. When people discuss walking pneumonia, they often mean infection with mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Early signs of a mycoplasma infection are quite similar to colds and viruses. People may have sore throats, stuffy noses, and fever. Instead of these symptoms improving as they usually would within about ten days of the start of a cold, they tend to get worse. Fever can continue, some people develop ear infections, especially kids, and pneumonia can develop. Usually this form of pneumonia is not severe enough to keep people bed-ridden as other forms do, so it is called a “walking” form. People may be up and about and not realize they’ve developed pneumonia.

Drinking fluids can help relieve some of the symptoms of a myoplasmic infection.
Drinking fluids can help relieve some of the symptoms of a myoplasmic infection.

It’s fairly easy to get a mycoplasma infection, and there does seem some pattern in when they occur. Usually infection is through exposure to the organism as contained within nasal or respiratory secretions. So for instance, a person with a mycoplasma infection who sneezes or coughs around an uninfected person could result in inhalation of droplets that contain mycoplasma organisms. These may begin to create illness within about two to three weeks after initial exposure.

Children with a mycoplasma infection often develop an ear infection.
Children with a mycoplasma infection often develop an ear infection.

Patterns regarding these infections tend to show they occur about every four to eight years in most communities, and they are most likely to happen during summer or fall. Usually, communities will undergo a widespread outbreak within this time interval, and those most affected are children and young adults. It’s probably valuable to note that late summer and early fall are generally times when kids head back to school, and communal attendance in class may spur a mycoplasma infection for a whole school or whole college. Parents might also be more likely at the beginning of the school year to ignore or dismiss infections that seem like the common cold and send kids to school sick, prompting greater spread of the illness to others.

A chest X-ray can be used to diagnose mycoplasma pneumonia in patients.
A chest X-ray can be used to diagnose mycoplasma pneumonia in patients.

Though a mycoplasma infection may resolve without treatment, certain drugs might be used to address it including basic antibiotics like erythromycin or its derivatives. It’s known that some people may then become immune to future infections, but it’s hard to know how long this immunity lasts. Common treatment to get rid of symptoms of the infection in addition to antibiotics may include lots of rest and lots of fluids.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent TheHealthBoard contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent TheHealthBoard contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

JulieAnn66

I have mycoplasma pneumoniae. I had a chest x-ray and blood test which confirmed the infection. I got to the stage where I couldn't breathe and was very short of breath and the doctor thought I had chronic bronchitis. I also had four lung function tests to see if I had asthma, which I do not.

My doctor put me on Doxylin 100mg per day, 5 ml of morphine four times a day and prednisilone 50mg a day for three weeks. I had another blood test which showed I have had no improvement from the medication, so for the next four weeks my own immune system has to try and fight it, then I will have another blood test to see what is happening and if I need more medication or what else the doctor comes up with to help me!

elizabeth23

I'm a little surprised that antibiotics might work for this, since it is not technically a bacteria; but then I suppose that since it is neither a bacteria nor a virus, antibiotics would work better as a mycoplasma infection treatment than some things, but I hope more research will be done about this, because I wonder if it is at least partly a placebo effect.

behaviourism

I think I may have had a mycoplasma infection, and might actually be trying to get over it right now. I felt sort of sick for about a week, and then my illness got much worse almost overnight, leading me to be really sick for about a week. Even now, over a week after that, I still feel a little ill, mostly in my throat, with a little soreness and congestion. While I guess it isn't serious, I hope I can get enough rest to get over it fully.

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    • Drinking fluids can help relieve some of the symptoms of a myoplasmic infection.
      By: food pictures studio
      Drinking fluids can help relieve some of the symptoms of a myoplasmic infection.
    • Children with a mycoplasma infection often develop an ear infection.
      By: philippe Devanne
      Children with a mycoplasma infection often develop an ear infection.
    • A chest X-ray can be used to diagnose mycoplasma pneumonia in patients.
      By: creo77
      A chest X-ray can be used to diagnose mycoplasma pneumonia in patients.
    • One early sign of a mycoplasma infection can include a sore throat.
      By: Innovated Captures
      One early sign of a mycoplasma infection can include a sore throat.
    • Stuffy nose and fever are early signs of a mycoplasma infection.
      By: Ilike
      Stuffy nose and fever are early signs of a mycoplasma infection.