Abstract:
Objective To understand the clinical characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection in 1842 children (0-14 years old) with respiratory tract illness in a hospital in Sanya from April 2023 to March 2024, and provide evidence for the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and control of respiratory tract infection with MP.
Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 1842 pediatric patients who visited our hospital due to respiratory tract infections from April 2023 to March 2024. Targeted next generation sequencing (tNGS) was used to detect the respiratory tract pathogen, i.e. MP, and mutations in the resistance foci A2063G, A2064G, A2067G, and C2617G of 23S rRNA gene of MP. The enumeration data were analyzed with χ2 test.
Results In 1842 children with respiratory tract illness, 628 were infected with MP (34.09%). A total of 337 MP infection cases occurred in boys (31.12%), and 291 cases of MP infection cases occurred in girls (38.34%). The positive rate in girls was higher than that in boys (χ2=10.360, P=0.001). The positive rates of MP in age group <1 year, 1−<3 years, 3−<6 years, and 6−14 years were 5.10%, 17.13%, 32.55%, and 61.90%, respectively. The differences in MP positive rates among different age groups were statistically significant (χ2=372.407, P<0.001). The positive rates of MP in the four quarters (second, third, fourth, and first quarter) were 5.91%, 24.65%, 47.93%, and 33.92%, respectively. The differences in MP positive rates among different quarters were statistically significant (χ2=144.499, P<0.001). Among 628 cases of MP infection, 591 cases were detected with mutations in the resistance sites A2063G or A2064G of the MP 23S rRNA gene, with a resistance rate of 94.11%. The main mutation was at the A2063G site of the 23S rRNA gene.
Conclusions From April 2023 to March 2024, the positive rate of MP infection in children with respiratory tract infections in a hospital in Sanya was relatively high at 34.09%. The positive rate of MP infection in female children was higher than that in male children, and the highest positive rate of MP infection was 61.90% in school-age children (6−14 years old). There was a significant seasonal pattern in MP infection, mainly in the fourth and first quarters, and drug resistance was more severe.