Significance of Bacteroides ureolyticus in the lower genital tract

In a study to determine the significance of Bacteroides ureolyticus in the lower urogenital tract using a new selective and differential medium, this organism was isolated from 30.1% of asymptomatic men, 37.8% of men with genital warts, and 26.3% of men with non-gonococcal urethritis. Using the same selective medium B. ureolyticus was isolated from 49% of women attending the same genitourinary clinic with symptoms of vaginal discharge and/or pruritus vulvae, 44.1% of asymptomatic women, and 50% of asymptomatic women attending a local family planning clinic. Furthermore, this organism was isolated from 27.1% of women whose vaginal specimens isolated commensal organisms only, 43.2% with C. albicans, 59.4% with U. urealyticum, 74.4% with M. hominis, and 76.8% with G. vaginalis. On testing with the API ATB 32A test strips, 86% of the positive isolates of B. ureolyticus from the female genital tract were indistinguishable from those isolated from the male genital tract indicating that this organism is common to the lower genital tract of both sexes. These results indicate that B. ureolyticus is a commensal in the lower genital tract.