STUDIES ON UREAPLASMA SPP OF HUMAN AND CATTLE ORIGIN WITH REFERENCE TO PREVALENCE, CHARACTERIZATION AND PATHOGENICITY IN NIGERIA
STUDIES ON UREAPLASMA SPP OF HUMAN AND CATTLE ORIGIN WITH REFERENCE TO PREVALENCE, CHARACTERIZATION AND PATHOGENICITY IN NIGERIA
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1988-10
Authors
LOMBIN, LAMI HANNATU
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
A strong association has been reported between
the occurrence of Ureaplasma in human and cattle and
various infertility problems. In Nigeria, not much
has been done to determine the role of these
Ureaplasma organisms in urogenital conditions of man
and animals. Also the subsequent effect on the
livestock industry is not known. This work was
therefore designed to determine the prevalence of the
organism in human and cattle population. In addition
attempts were made to determine their susceptibility
to antimicrobial agents, study the various serotypes
of these organisms and also to establish the
pathogenicity of some of the isolates.
Five media preparations comprising a
conventional urea broth (UB) and four buffered media
N-tris (Hydroxymethyl) methyl-2- aminoethane-sulfonic
acid (MES), N-2-Hydroxyethyl piperazine-N'-2-
ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES), Tris (Hydroxymethyl)
aminomethane (TRIS), and N-tris (Hydroxymethyl)
methyl-2-aminoethane-sulfonic acid (TES) buffers were
compared for ability to support the growth of human
strains of Ureaplasma spp. Swabs from the cervix and
urethra of 116 patients attending the sexually
transmitted disease clinic with gonococcal and non
gonococcal infections were propagated in each of the
five media. Moreover, five arginine-supplemented
preparations, namely arginine broth, MES, HEPES,
TRIS, and TES-supplemented arginine broths and the
urea broth (UB) were compared for the detection of
Mycoplasma hominis, a mycoplasma frequently
encountered in human genital tract. A high recovery
rate of U. urealyticum was obtained with the UB which
detected 98.3% of the ureaplasmal positive samples.
The UB solidified with 1% agar, apart from its
suitability for culturing Ureaplasma spp. also
compared favourably (100%) with arginine agar (AA) in
supporting the growth of M. hominis. Improved
viability evident by a higher growth titre, was
obtained with HEPES and TRIS buffered media than with
the UB. The best growth profile was obtained with the
HEPES - buffered medium.
Using the UB media, swabs from the cervix or
posterior vaginal fornix of 929 women comprising 283
attending the family planning clinic, 100 pregnant
women attending antenatal clinic, 500 with various
infertility problems attending the gynaecology
clinic, and 46 women attending the venereal disease
clinic were cultured for U. urealyticum and M.
hominis. In addition, urethral swabs from 70 men with
gonococcal urethritis were similarly cultured. The
recovery rate of U. urealyticum from all the 500
infertility cases was 60% while from the controls
(family planning group and pregnant group) the
recovery rate was 37%. Amongst venereal disease
patients the recovery rate was 51.7%. Data show a
strong association between Ureaplasma or mixed
Ureaplasma and M. hominis infection and secondary
infertility. No relationship was observed between M.
hominis infection alone and any of the condition. Two
hundred bovine samples consisting of 150 vaginal
swabs, 30 preputial swabs and 20 bull semen were also
cultured in UB medium and glucose medium (G-medium)
for Ureaplasma and mycoplasma-like organisms
respectively. The recovery rate of Ureaplasma from
these specimens was 70%, 83%, and 65% from vaginal
swabs, preputial swabs and semen respectively. Also a
recovery rate of 42%, 76% and 30% was obtained for
mycoplasma-like organism from the bovine vagina,
preputial and semen samples respectively.
One hundred and seventy five Ureaplasma
isolates consisting of 60 from the family planning
group, 50 from the infertility patients and 35 from
the sexually transmitted disease patients and also 30
from bovine sources were compared in certain
biochemical tests. All strains were phosphatase
positive, catalase negative, and did not reduce
tetrazolium dye. Weak zones of B-haemolysis were
observed with all the strains on UB medium.
Ureaplasma were inactivated by their toxic metabolite
in broth.
When the growth inhibition test was compared
with the metabolic inhibition test using 134 human
isolates, a high degree of agreement between the two
tests was obtained in serotyping the isolates. The
growth inhibition test was easier to conduct and was
highly specific but lacked sensitivity; the metabolic
inhibition test was less specific but was more
sensitive. No particular correlation between patient
status and serotypes were observed in this study.
Overall, serotype 8(15%) was encountered most
frequently, followed by serotypes 2(12%) and 4(12%).
Other serotypes were encountered in lesser degrees
except serotype 7 which was however not encountered
in this study. In cattle, 80% of the strains were
typed and classified into the existing three groups
using only the growth inhibition test.Of 100 bovine
isolates typed, 39% were in group A, 33% in group B,
and 8% in group C.
Eighteen strains of Ureaplasma species
consisting of 15 isolated from humans and 3 from
bovine sources and one of M. hominis were tested for
their responses to various antimicrobial agents. The
strains exhibited three susceptibility patterns.
Firstly, togamycin, chloramphenicol, and
chlorletracycline inhibited the organism at much
lower concentrations. A tetracycline resistant
strain, STC 145U (serotype 4), was encountered. This
strain, however, was highly sensitive to togamycin -
a spectinomycin. Secondly, erythromycin,
streptomycin, and gentamicin susceptibility pattern
was observed. The third susceptibility pattern was
that of clindamycin, cotrimoxazole, nalidixic acid
and nitrofurantoin. Clindamycin was generally
ineffective (MIC = I500ug/ml) on the Ureaplasma
strains, but was highly effective on M. hominis (MIC
= 2.9ug/ml). A reverse pattern was observed with
erythromycin. No overt differences between human and
bovine isolates of Ureaplasma were observed in their
general suceptibility to the various antimicrobial
agents.
The pathogenic potentials of local strains of
Ureaplasma BS 2112 from bovine semen and STC 145U,
ACC 80, FP 81 obtained from human urogenital tract
were compared. The mammary glands of 17 lactating
goats were inoculated with these local isolates.
Strain differences in the response of the glands were
observed. Bovine strain BS 2112 elicited severe
mastitic response. The human strain STC 145U caused
some degree of clinical mastitis which was
resolved by the 14th day post-inoculation. Similar
but milder responses were obtained with strains ACC
80 and FP 81.
It is concluded that the mammary gland of the
Savannah Brown goats can be used to study the
pathogenesis of the various Ureaplasma strains.
Intravenous inoculation of Ureaplasma strain BS
2112 did not cause any increase in rectal
temperatures of the goat. Mild vulvitis was, however,
observed a few hours after intravaginal inoculation
of the Ureaplasma. Abortion occurred in one of two
goats inoculated intravaginally and Ureaplasma was
isolated from the genitalia of the doe and from the
lungs of the aborted fetus.
This study therefore highlights the development
of media for Ureaplasma cultivation in this
environment, is the first to serotype Ureaplasma
specie in Nigeria, and successfully used the goat
mammary gland as a pathogenicity marker.
Description
A Dissertation submitted to Ahmadu Bello University
in partial fulfillment for the Degree:
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AND
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY. ZARIA, NIGERIA.
OCTOBER, 1988
Keywords
UREAPLASMA,, CATTLE ORIGIN,, PREVALENCE,, CHARACTERIZATION,, PATHOGENICITY