Epidemiological Characteristics of <i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i> in Hospitalized Children with Pneumonia in Hangzhou, China

Abstract

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. Objectives: This study investigated the epidemiological characteristics of hospitalized children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in Hangzhou. Methods: M. pneumoniae 16s rRNA in respiratory tract sample of children was detected by SAT-MP assay from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2019. Results: 71,965 samples were tested by SAT-MP (simultaneous amplification and testing of Mycoplasma pneumonia) assay, 10206 (14.2%) were positive for M. pneumoniae. The highest positive rate of M. pneumoniae infection in the second half year appeared in 2015 reaching 24.3% and the lowest appeared in 2017 dropping to 9.8%. The detected monthly positive rates of M. pneumoniae infection ranged from 8.2% to 25.5%, with a peak in August. The positive rate of M. pneumoniae infection increased with the age and it reached the peak in children older than 5 years. Conclusions: This large samples study revealed that the M. pneumoniae positive rate was higher in older hospitalized children and it reached the highest point in summer in terms of prevalence in Hangzhou.