[Epidemiological and clinical analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children with acute respiratory tract infection].
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection in children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) in Guangzhou.


METHODS
MP was detected using an indirect immunofluorescent method in 2084 children with ARI. The relations between MP infection rate and the gender, age, season, site of infection and wheezing diseases were analyzed.


RESULTS
A total of 433 children (20.8%) were positive for MP, including 222 boys (19.8%) and 211 girls (21.9%) without significant difference in the infection rate between the genders (P>0.05). In 0- to 3-year-old group, 106 children were positive for MP (15.0%), while in 3- to 5-year-old group and 5- to 14-year-old group, 163 (25.2%) and 164 (22.5%) were positive, respectively, showing a significant difference in the infection rate between the 3 groups (P<0.05). The MP infection rate was 18.0% in January to March, 25.1% in April to June, 17.7% in July to September, and 20.5% in October to December, showing significant differences between the periods (P<0.05). No significant difference was found in the infection rate between children with acute upper respiratory tract infection (URI) and those with lower respiratory tract infection (LRI) (P>0.05). Among the children with LRI, those having wheezing disease had significantly higher MP positivity rate than those without wheezing.


CONCLUSIONS
MP is a common causative agent for ARI in children. MP infection is not related to gender and infection site, but to age and season. Children over 3 years old are vulnerable to MP infection. MP infection can be associated with wheezing in LRI.
Department of Pediatrics, General Hospital of Guangzhou Command, Guangzhou 510010, China.
Man-chun
MC
Xu
Heng-hao
HH
Ma
Qiao-qun
QQ
Ou
Ai-wu
AW
Luo
Guang-li
GL
Ren
Xian-yan
XY
Wang
Li-juan
LJ
Jing
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons