title: Simkania negevensis may be a true cause of community acquired pneumonia in children.
abstract: Simkania negevensis, a recently found Chlamydia-like organism, has been associated with bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children. S. negevensis findings have been common also in healthy, non-symptomatic subjects. Antibodies to S. negevensis were measured by microimmunofluorescence in 174 frozen paired sera obtained from children with community acquired pneumonia in a population-based study. There was evidence of S. negevensis infection in 18 (10%) cases. All diagnoses were based on the presence of specific IgM antibodies. The numbers of S. negevensis cases increased from 2 (4%) at <24 months to 7 (15%) at > or = 10 y of age. 12 (67%) were mixed infections with viruses or other bacteria. 16 children (9%) had measurable IgG antibodies to S. negevensis, but significant rises were not found in any cases. Thus, S. negevensis may be a real, though rare, cause of CAP in children, occurring often in mixed infections with viruses and other bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Paediatrics, University of Kuopio and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heiskanen-Kosma
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paldanius
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korppi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002695:Chlamydiales / Q000276:immunology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M