Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Ai, Ling
• Liu, Beizhong
• Fang, Liang
• Zhou, Chanjuan
• Gong, Fang

Titel

Comparison of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children admitted with community acquired pneumonia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study at a tertiary hospital of southwest China

Ist Teil von

• European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases, 2024-06, Vol.43 (6), p.1213-1220

Ort / Verlag

Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

SpringerLink (Online service)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has notably altered the infection dynamics of various pathogens. This study aimed to evaluate the pandemic’s impact on the infection spectrum of Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M. pneumoniae ) among children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods We enrolled pediatric CAP patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in southwest China to compare the prevalence and characteristics of M. pneumoniae infections before (2018–2019) and during (2020–2022) the COVID-19 pandemic. Detection of M. pneumoniae IgM antibodies in serum were conducted using either indirect immunofluorescence or passive agglutination methods. Results The study included 1505 M. pneumoniae -positive and 3160 M. pneumoniae -negative CAP patients. Notable findings were the higher age and frequency of pneumonia-associated symptoms in M. pneumoniae -positive patients, alongside a lower male proportion and fewer respiratory co-infections. The year 2019 saw a notable increase in M. pneumoniae infections compared to 2018, followed by a decline from 2020 to 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic period witnessed significant alterations in age distribution, male proportion, and co-infections with specific pathogens in both M. pneumoniae -positive and negative patients. The M. pneumoniae infections were predominantly seasonal, peaking in autumn and winter during 2018 and 2019. Although there was a sharp drop in February 2020, the infection still peaked in cold months of 2020 and 2021. However, the typical seasonal pattern was nearly absent in 2022. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly changed the infection landscape of M. pneumoniae in pediatric CAP patients, with shifts observed in infection rates, demographic profiles, co-infections, and seasonal patterns.