infections
Mycoplasmas
Diagnosis of Mycoplasmas
Nucleic acid amplification tests or detection of antibodies Doctors can sometimes identify mycoplasmas by doing nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) on respiratory secretions or on vaginal or urethral swabs. NAATs are used to look for an organism's unique genetic material, its DNA or RNA (which are nucleic acids). NAATs use a process that increases the amount of the bacteria's DNA or RNA so that it can be more easily identified. Sometimes doctors diagnoseMycoplasma pneumoniaeby doing blood tests to detect antibodies to it. 