Mycoplasma pneumoniae detections in children with lower respiratory infection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a large sample study in China from 2019 to 2022.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968551 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2334 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14712334 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Infect Dis Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

COVID-19*/epidemiology ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*/epidemiology ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*/microbiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections*/epidemiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections*/microbiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections*/virology; Humans ; China/epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent ; Infant ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Pandemics

Background: Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented to reduce the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have suppressed the spread of other respiratory viruses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological trends and clinical characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection among inpatient children with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigate the long-term effects of China's NPIs against COVID-19 on the epidemiology of MP among inpatient children with LRTI.
Methods: Children hospitalised for LRTI at the Department of Pulmonology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between January 2019 and December 2022 were tested for common respiratory pathogens, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and other bacteria. Clinical data on age, sex, season of onset, disease spectrum, and combined infection in children with MP-induced LRTI in the past 4 years were collected and analysed.
Results: Overall, 15909 patients were enrolled, and MP-positive cases were 1971 (34.0%), 73 (2.4%), 176 (5.8%), and 952 (20.6%) in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, with a significant statistical difference in the MP-positive rate over the 4 years (p <0.001). The median age of these children was preschool age (3-6 years), except for 2022, when they were school age (7-12 years), with statistical differences. Comparing the positive rates of different age groups, the school-age children (7-12 years) had the highest positive rate, followed by the preschoolers (3-6 years) in each of the 4 years. Compared among different seasons, the positive rate of MP in children with LRTI was higher in summer and autumn, whereas in 2020, it was highest in spring. The monthly positive rate peaked in July 2019, remained low from 2020 to 2021, and rebounded until 2022. Regarding the disease spectrum, severe pneumonia accounted for the highest proportion (46.3%) pre-pandemic and lowest (0%) in 2020.
Conclusion: Trends in MP detection in children with LRTIs suggest a possible correlation between COVID-19 NPIs and significantly reduced detection rates. The positivity rate of MP gradually rose after 2 years. The epidemic season showed some differences, but school-age children were more susceptible to MP before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

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LY22H100007 the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang province; G20B0003 the Key Program of the Independent Design Project of National Clinical Research Center for Child Health

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiological trend; Lower respiratory tract infection; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Non-pharmaceutical interventions

Date Created: 20240602 Date Completed: 20240602 Latest Revision: 20240604

20240604

PMC11143586

10.1186/s12879-024-09438-2

38824572