The persistence of mycoplasmas in the urogenital tract of men in the Antarctic

• Published in: Journal of Hygiene
• Main Authors: Holmes, M. J., Furr, Patricia M., Taylor-Robinson, D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1974
• Subjects: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Immunology; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400023585; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022172400023585

SUMMARY A series of meatal swabs, taken from 17 men over a period of 17 months during their tour at an Antarctic base was examined for mycoplasmas. The number of organisms isolated never exceeded 10 4 and not every specimen from each man yielded mycoplasmas. Nevertheless, Mycoplasma hominis was isolated from 71% and T-mycoplasmas from 59% of the men at some time during their stay. M. hominis persisted in the presence of serum IHA antibody titres of 1/64. Three subjects yielded only M. hominis and one only T-mycoplasmas. Six men had already spent a year at the base when the study began and myco-plasmas were still being isolated from some of them at the end of a 31 month period of isolation. The persistence of mycoplasmas in the male genital tract can therefore be independent of sexual contact. Two modes of persistence are suggested; either a few men act as carriers and reinfect the others by contaminating their environment, or as seems more likely, most men have chronic infections.