Prevalence of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in women undergoing an initial infertility evaluation.

AIMS: Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum are potentially pathogenic bacterial species that are frequently isolated from the urogenital tract of women. These pathogens could be responsible for various genitourinary diseases and have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and female fertility problems. The aim of this study was to analyse the presence of M. hominis and U. urealyticum in the cervical canal of uterus of women with and without fertility problems. METHODS: Endocervical swabs obtained from women with reproductive problems and fertile women were tested by both cultivation and polymerase chain reaction. The antimicrobial susceptibility to the azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and erythromycine of the isolated strains of M. hominis and U. urealyticum was also tested by the microdilution broth method. RESULTS: A total of 111 women with fertile problems were examined. U. urealyticum was detected in samples from 44 (39.6%) women. M. hominis was detected in significantly fewer samples, i.e. only from 9 (8.1%) samples. From these, 6 (5.4%) women were positive for both microorganisms. The fertile group consisted from 23 women. The presence of U. urealyticum was detected in 8 (34.7%) of them. M. hominis was detected only in the mixture with U. urealyticum in 3 (13.0%) cases. The most effective antibiotic against both species in our study was doxycycline. CONCLUSION: The results show slightly higher incidence of M. hominis and U. urealyticum in the genitourinary tract of women with fertility problems compare with control group. The potential negative effect of these species on the reproduction ability of women was not observed.

[Infections caused by human alpha herpes viruses]. / Infekce vyvoláné lidskými alfa herpetickými viry.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), herpes simplex virus one (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus two (HSV-2) represent three out of the eight known human herpesviruses and belong to the subfamily of α-herpesviruses. These viruses are present worldwide and humans are their sole host and reservoir. After the primary infection, these viruses persist in the body throughout life. The period of latency may be interrupted by reactivation of infection due to various factors. Each virus can induce a wide spectrum of diseases. The primary infection is typical for children and otherwise healthy individuals are often asymptomatic. It is mainly immunocompromised patients who are at risk of developing severe disease or complications when infected by these viruses. However, even in otherwise healthy individuals an infection by a-herpesviruses can run a severe course and lead to death.

[Opposite trends in the incidence of gonorrhea and syphilis in the East Bohemian Region - 30 years of surveillance]. / Protikladný vývoj trendu incidence kapavky a syfilis ve východoceském regionu - 30 let surveillance.

The epidemiology of selected sexually transmitted diseases in the Czech Republic has been carefully evaluated for many years. Data from 1981-2011 for eastern Bohemia shows a sharp decrease in the incidence of gonorrhea in 1993-1994 and a very low incidence thereafter with a slightly higher prevalence in males. However, syphilis and genitourinary infections with Chlamydia trachomatis show entirely opposite trends. Also, for the similar number of diagnostic tests performed, Chlamydia had a 10 fold higher rate of positive results. This underscores the changing epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and necessity for adapting the reporting algorithms accordingly.

[Legionella infection--a neglected problem]. / Legionelové infekce - opomíjený problém.

UNLABELLED: Pathogenic species of the Legionella genus can cause respiratory diseases ranging in severity from benign Pontiac fever to life-threatening Legionnaires disease often characterized by severe pneumonia, high fever, and multiple organ involvement. Predisposing underlying conditions, such as immunosuppression, chronic lung disease, and malignancies and other variables such as smoking and higher age constitute high-risk factors. Legionalla has been isolated from natural aquatic habitats (freshwater streams and lakes, water reservoirs, etc.), artificial sources, and also from humid soil. These pathogens are distributed worldwide. Besides water reservoirs (surface and underground water, fresh and salt water), they occur in a wide range of technical devices and systems - water distribution systems, showers, pools, spa systems, perlators, foggy makers, irrigation systems with sprinklers, cooling towers, etc. About 20% of detected Legionella infections in Europe have been associated with travel history. Travel-associated cases present a particular difficulty in terms of identifying the source of infection and implementing remedial measures. KEYWORDS: Legionella pneumophila - Legionnaires disease - Pontiac fever - nosocomial infections.