Global trends in pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia research

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children, most commonly affecting school-aged children from 5 to 17 years old, with periodic increases in M. pneumoniae infections occurring every 3–5 years. 1 , 2 However, like other respiratory pathogens, the incidence of M. pneumoniae infections in children was markedly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions reduced M. pneumoniae transmission with global detection rates falling from 8.61% pre-pandemic to as low as 0.7–1.69% during the pandemic. 3 Beginning in 2023, M. pneumoniae infections began to climb rapidly worldwide. 3 , 4 , 5 A recent meta-analysis found pooled prevalence of pediatric M. pneumoniae infections rebounded to 28.6%, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. 6 United States hospital surveillance data reflected a similar pattern with pediatric M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) hospitalizations rising from 2.1% pre-pandemic to 12.5% in 2024, with peak hospitalizations at 53.8% in July 2024. 1 This resurgence has led to renewed interest in M. pneumoniae research worldwide.