The sexually transmitted infection by the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium is notably responsible for infertility.
- Mycoplasma genitalium infection affects the urinary and genital systems in both men and women.
- The bacterium was first discovered in London in 1980.
- According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is one of the serious threats to global health.
It is a bacterium identified for a long time, whose impact is unknown. American scientists warn of infections by Mycoplasma genitalium. Sexually transmitted, this bacterium can cause genital pain and bleeding, but can also cause infertility or miscarriages. To NBC Newsseveral scientists confide their concern about its spread and its resistance to treatment.
A number of infections by the bacteria difficult to estimate
“It’s a real cause for concern.”alarmed Dr. Irene Stafford, in the columns of NBC News. At a conference of the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention devoted to sexually transmitted diseases, this professor of maternal-fetal medicine called for more research and tests on this bacterium. For the moment, scientists are struggling to estimate the number of people affected. In 2019, a first test to detect the bacterium was approved by the American health authorities, the Food and Drug Administration.
Simon Clarke, professor of cellular microbiology explains that the problem is the “diffusion silent” of the bacteria in an interview with DailyMail. The tests are not always known to the general public, and infected people continue to infect others in the absence of a diagnosis. The test is usually done when a person has persistent symptoms, and no other sexually transmitted infections have been detected. Also, physicians are not required to report cases diagnosed in the United States. According to Lisa Manhart, professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, up to 20% of sexually active women and 16.5% of men aged 15 to 24 could be infected with the bacteria. .
What are the symptoms of infection with Mycoplasma genitalium?
People who are infected do not always experience symptoms. When this is the case, they are varied: pain while urinating, abnormal flow, pain in the lower abdomen, etc. In pregnant women, the infection can be responsible for miscarriages. Men and women are equally at risk of infertility. Last May, a study, published in Sexually Transmitted Infections, demonstrated that infection with this bacterium doubled the risk of premature delivery.
A bacterium resistant to antibiotics
One of the major risks associated with the bacterium is the impossibility of treating it. “M. genitalium quickly developed resistance to all the antibiotics used to treat it, says Lisa Manhart to NBC News. We already have incurable infections.” Pending new effective treatments, health authorities recommend testing for antibiotic resistance before providing treatment to infected people. But these tests are still rare. For scientists, research is the solution: we must launch more scientific studies on the bacterium, and on its resistance to antibiotics.
