Organisms in the respiratory tract are shed in mucus droplets generated by coughing or sneezing. The presence of these organisms generates an increase in mucus, which tends to increase the number of droplets, a definite advantage for spreading the organism . The droplets dry out rather rapidly, so the organisms have the problem of surviving a dry environment at a wide variety of temperatures. B. Their solution is to learn to survive in dust particles. Both respiratory and GI organsms may also be spread by spitting, kissing, or by the fecal route when respiratory mucus is swallowed.
Organisms infecting the genital tract have the easiest time of all.
Mucus from both the male and female tracts is well mixed by the act of intercourse so the organisms need not survive any external environments. Their main problem is to adapt to growth in both male and female genital mucosae. Most have also adapted to growth in the oral mucosa. That Neisseria gonorrheae survives poorly in almost any external environment. For it to be successfully cultured, it should be inoculated on the proper agar medium immediately after the genital specimen is collected.