Mycoplasma fermentans

Mycoplasma species are tiny cell wall deficient intracellular bacteria which have been well known for many decades. They are a common cause of bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory infections. They have been shown to cause a sexually transmitted infection of the urethra. Usually these germs are transmitted via the respiratory route like Chlamydia pneumonia. However, certain species of Mycoplasma have been found in the blood of tick vectors, including Ixodes. This raises the possibility that Mycoplasma may be a tick borne infection or co-infection. A published study found Mycoplasma fermentans DNA in a group of seven individuals following a tick bite. All had typical Lyme symptoms including: fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and cognitive dysfunction. Non tested positive for other tick borne infections including Lyme; and all got better after a course of antibiotics. Repeat blood tests showed that the Mycoplasma germ was no longer in the blood stream. The same germ has been shown to induce arthritis, have an association with chronic fatigue syndrome and an association with Gulf War Syndrome. There is not much research about the treatment of this specific microbe. This species of Mycoplasma is a recent discovery. It seems to respond to many Lyme mediciations, including: Doxycyline, Minocin, Biaxin, Zithromax and Cipro. Patients treated for chronic Lyme would always be covered for this germ. My research does not show that it is difficult to eradicate like CPN. However, the use of long term Minocin and Doxycyline for arthritis may indicate that it is indeed difficult to eradicate. The importance of this bacteria in the Lyme syndrome is not yet know, but it is certainly an aspect of the poly-microbial mix seen in these patients.