Because they possess a small genome and lack a cell wall, they are by necessity obligate intracellular parasites dependent upon their host for a supply of nutrients. Their fastidious nature makes them difficult to cultivate in vitro . Mycoplasma infections tend to be more chronic and indistinguishable on the basis of clinical symptoms alone. Thus, in many clinical settings, laboratory diagnosis is important for management. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a frequent cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections.
Infection tends to spread slowly among family members and throughout communities.
Chills, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may follow in those patients who progress to pneumonia. Dry, nonproductive cough occurs 3 to 5 days after the onset of the initial nonspecific symptoms. Later, the cough may become productive of mucopurulent sputum. Patients usually seek medical attention on day 5-7 because the cough may become paroxysmal and nocturnal. The cough may persist for several weeks following resolution of the constitutional symptoms.