Mycoplasma organisms are germs of the same general size as bacteria, however, like a virus, a mycoplasma germ can only live inside a body cell. These germs cause a variety of human illnesses, chief among them respiratory infections. Mycoplasma pneumonia ("walking pneumonia," because the patient is still walking around coughing his head off) is probably the most common significant infection; they also are known to cause conjunctivitis and otitis media. Mycoplasma organisms also differ from viral germs in that antibiotics can be used to treat mycoplasma infections.
