Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in a paediatric setting; changes in epidemiology and clinical presentation

Denmark was struck by two consecutive Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) epidemics, peaking in the autumn of 2010 and 2011 respectively. In the paediatric ward of a regional hospital we observed in daily clinic, more young children tested positive for MP as well as more cases of extra pulmonary complications in the second season. The purpose was to investigate, whether changes in epidemiology and clinical presentation of MP could be documented and to increase the diagnostic precision of MP. Data collected on all children investigated for MP (by PCR) at the paediatric ward, Hillerød Hospital during two periods 01.02.2010–31.01.2011 and 01.02.2011–31.01.2012 were evaluated. For the children tested positive for MP medical histories were systematically reviewed. A total of 132 children were included. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA 11.0. The study was approved by the Danish Central Ethical Committee. The number of positive samples was 48 (of 388) in the first period and 84 (of 360) in the second, with a significantly higher rate of positive samples in the later period. Our observation of more children younger than 5 years, diagnosed with MP in the later period was confirmed although only as a trend. We also found that infants were referred earlier after onset of symptoms then older children. Conversely older children tended to have longer hospitalizations then younger. Results of pulmonary and extra pulmonary symptomatology will be presented. The MP epidemic in 2010 and 2011 increased during the study period. An increasingly amount of young children were affected by MP. Changes in age specific clinical presentations are discussed to optimize diagnostic tools.