Ureaplasma urealyticum

Ureaplasma urealyticum is a bacterium belonging to the family Mycoplasmataceae. Its type strain is T960.

This microorganism is part of the normal genital flora of both men and women. It is found in about 70% of sexually active humans. It can also cause disease, including non-specific urethritis (NSU), infertility, chorioamnioitis, stillbirth, premature birth, and, in the perinatal period, pneumonia or meningitis.

There are six recognised Ureaplasma species, They have a G+C content of 27 – 30 mol%, and a genome size ranging between 0.76 – 1.17 Gbp, and cholesterol is required for growth. A defining characteristic of the genera is that they perform urea hydrolysis.

It is now recommended that some strains originally classified as Ureaplasma urealyticum should be treated as a new species, U. parvum.