Mycoplasma genitalium
| Mycoplasma genitalium | |
|---|---|
| 3D whole cell model of a Mycoplasma genitalium cell. Note this model does not include the terminal attachment organelle. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Mycoplasmatota |
| Class: | Mollicutes |
| Order: | Mycoplasmoidales |
| Family: | Mycoplasmoidaceae |
| Genus: | Mycoplasmoides |
| Species: | M. genitalium |
| Binomial name | |
| Mycoplasmoides genitalium (Tully et al. 1983) Gupta et al. 2018 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Mycoplasma genitalium Tully et al. 1983 | |
Mycoplasma genitalium (also known as MG, Mgen, or since 2018, Mycoplasmoides genitalium) is a sexually transmitted, small and pathogenic bacterium that lives on the mucous epithelial cells of the urinary and genital tracts in humans. Medical reports published in 2007 and 2015 state that Mgen is becoming increasingly common. Resistance to multiple antibiotics, including the macrolide azithromycin, which until recently was the most reliable treatment, is becoming prevalent. The bacterium was first isolated from the urogenital tract of humans in 1981, and was eventually identified as a new species of Mycoplasma in 1983. It can cause negative health effects in men and women. It also increases the risk for HIV spread with higher occurrences in those previously treated with the azithromycin antibiotics.