What is the Difference Between Ureaplasma Parvum and Ureaplasma Urealyticum

The main difference between Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum is that Ureaplasma parvum is a commensal bacterium that belongs to the genus Ureaplasma, while Ureaplasma urealyticum is a pathogenic bacterium that belongs to the genus Ureaplasma.

The genus Ureaplasma contains a group of tiny bacteria that usually inhabits the respiratory and urogenital tract. They are one of the smallest free-living organisms in the world. These bacteria are so tiny that they cannot be seen even through a normal microscope. Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum are two bacterial species belonging to the genus Ureaplasma.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ureaplasma Parvum
3. What is Ureaplasma Urealyticum
4. Similarities – Ureaplasma Parvum and Ureaplasma Urealyticum
5. Ureaplasma Parvum vs Ureaplasma Urealyticum in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Ureaplasma Parvum vs Ureaplasma Urealyticum

What is Ureaplasma Parvum?

Ureaplasma parvum is a commensal bacterium that belongs to the genus Ureaplasma. The genus Ureaplasma belongs to the family Mycoplasmataceae. Formerly, U. parvum was known as Ureaplasma urealyticum biovar. This bacterium normally lives in the uterus microbiome in healthy women of reproductive age as a commensal. It is a commensal of both females as well as males. It attaches itself to the mucosal lining of the urogenital tract. When the mucosal lining is damaged, this species can relocate to other physiological areas of the body. This can lead to infection and disease. The potentiality of U. parvum as an opportunistic pathogen has been investigated. However, current studies have no clue regarding Ureaplasma parvum’s contribution to urogenital infections.

U. parvum is the most prevalent bacterium in vaginal microflora. Normally, about 43.5% of samples become positive for U. parvum. This study supports the symbiotic relationship of U. parvum in vaginal microflora.

What is Ureaplasma Urealyticum?

Ureaplasma urealyticum is a pathogenic bacterium that belongs to the genus Ureaplasma. It causes infection in the urinary tract and vagina. Generally, it can pass from mother to infant during birth or sexually transmitted between men and women. Moreover, Ureaplasma urealyticum can be found in a majority of sexually active people. However, most of them are asymptomatic. U. urealyticum is also found in cultures in people who suffer from pelvic inflammatory disease. Therefore, it is not a commensal of the healthy uterine or amniotic microbiome. Infections with Ureaplasma urealyticum in pregnant mothers may also contribute to neonatal infection. This gives negative neonatal birth outcomes.

U. urealyticum infection can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests (CT scan and MRI). Furthermore, treatment options for U. urealyticum infection can include antibiotics such as doxycycline, azithromycin, and streptomycin as a five-day course. Penicillin is ineffective for U. urealyticum as it does not have a cell wall. This is because penicillin’s main target is the cell wall of the bacterium.

What are the Similarities Between Ureaplasma Parvum and Ureaplasma Urealyticum?

• U. parvum and U. urealyticum are two bacterial species of the same genus Ureaplasma.
• Both belong to the family Mycoplasmataceae.
• They are very small bacteria.
• Both are found in females as well as males.
• They are present in sexually active people.

What is the Difference Between Ureaplasma Parvum and Ureaplasma Urealyticum?

U. parvum is a commensal bacterium, while U. urealyticum is a pathogenic bacterium. Thus, this is the key difference between Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Furthermore, Ureaplasma parvum is a commensal of the healthy uterine or amniotic microbiome, while Ureaplasma urealyticum is not a commensal of the healthy uterine or amniotic microbiome.

The below infographic presents the differences between Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Ureaplasma Parvum vs Ureaplasma Urealyticum

Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum are two bacterial species belonging to the genus Ureaplasma and family Mycoplasmataceae. Ureaplasma parvum is a commensal bacterium. Hence it is not causing any infection. Ureaplasma urealyticum is a pathogenic bacterium that causes infections. So, this summarizes the difference between Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Reference:

1. “Ureaplasma Urealyticum.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.
2. “Ureaplasma Parvum.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.

Image Courtesy:

1. “pcbi.1002637.g010” By Phylogeny Figures  (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr