<i>Mycoplasma pneumoniae</i> Infection in Hong Kong – Clinical and Epidemiological Features during an Epidemic

Abstract

An epidemic of infection due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae occurred in Hong Kong in 1986-1988. One hundred and seventy-nine cases were identified at the Prince of Wales Hospital over this period. Clinically significant infection predominantly affected children under 12 years, with 32% of all infections occurring in children aged between 6 and 11 years, and 39% in children between 1 and 5 years. Ninety-seven percent of childhood infections were respiratory in nature, the other 4 presentations were neuropsychiatric. Adequate information was available on 36 of the 43 subjects over 12 years. One teenager presented with acute psychosis; all other cases (35) were respiratory. In these cases cough was universal, and fever was present in 34 (97%). A variety of nonspecific symptoms (rigors/chills, malaise, headache, sore throat, sweating) were frequently noted. Sputum production was documented in 75% of cases, and was frequently purulent. Radiological consolidation was very common (95% of cases), but resolved fully after 4 weeks. Complications were rare and included acute pericarditis in 1 patient and haemolysis in another, and both patients recovered subsequently. Clinical recovery was otherwise rapid and complete in all other patients. Persisting dry cough was the only symptom documented at follow-up. Although infection due to M. pneumoniae in an ethnic Chinese population appears similar to that described in other populations, a higher incidence in younger children was recorded in this study.

Community epidemiology of Chlamydia and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in LRTI in France over 29 months

“…With respect to MP, our average rate was lower than the 15-20% usually reported [20], but higher rates have sometimes been found [16,19] particularly in investigations of local epidemics. However, between 1970 and 1972, 7% of the LRTI cases studied in the UK were positive for MP [20], a proportion similar to the one found in our subset of patients with radiologically confirmed CAP. Our network was not representative of all French practitioners, since its members were recruited on a voluntary basis from an existing network, and not at random.…”

Associations of radiological features in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

“…[12] reported a higher frequency of this pattern (38%) in paediatric patients in Taiwan, whereas Hosker et al . [13] reported that 95% of paediatric patients presented with this pattern in Hong Kong and Defilippi et al . [14] showed that consolidation was the commonest finding in children with infection due to M. pneumoniae in Genoa.…”

An Outbreak of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Caused by a Macrolide-Resistant Isolate in a Nursery School in China

“…In a study of community spread, transmission of M. pneumoniae within schools was relatively low compared with the spread of this bacterium within families and infections among neighborhood playmates in the United States (6). Although outbreaks of M. pneumoniae in China have been reported (8,11,14), this is the first report of a point source outbreak caused by a rare macrolide-resistant strain of M. pneumoniae in China, and this outbreak attracted great attention from local government and public health departments.…”