Nongonococcal urethritis associated with human strains of "T" mycoplasmas

T-strain ("T") mycoplasmas are associated with 60% to 93% of the cases of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) in male patients, whereas their natural occurrence in the genitourinary tract of normal male controls of similar age, occupation, and sexual activity generally ranges from 21% to 26%. A urease color test medium was developed for detection and identification of "T" mycoplasmas in clinical exudates and urine specimens which had a specificity of 98.1% among 686 clinical specimens tested. T-strainMycoplasma-associated NGU responds satisfactorily to treatment with either tetracyclines or erythromycin. The close association of "T" mycoplasmas with NGU, their intimate association with the clinical course of the disease, their response to treatment of NGU, and their reappearance following reinfection from consort or wife, suggest that "T" mycoplasmas play an important role in the etiology of the disease.