LITERATURE UPDATE
control the infection spread. In this study, the authors demonstrate an increase in the detection of M. pneumoniae in the outpatient population, during 2023, as compared to the previous two years (2021–2022). In this aggregated survey, respiratory
samples collected within the continental United States were tested for the presence of M. pneumoniae and other respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens using a multiplex PCR assay. Patient data were analysed on the basis of age, gender and geographical location. The positive detection of M. pneumoniae in 2021 and 2022 was 0.004% and 0.006%, respectively. The positivity rate of M. pneumoniae in 2023 increased to 0.21%. The highest proportion of M. pneumoniae cases were detected from Georgia with the outbreak generally concentrated in large urban setings. Median age of the patients testing
Numerous round plaques on blood agar indicative of the β-haemolytic activity of M. pneumoniae.
study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of PCR for the detection of MP and to measure MP DNA load between nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples were obtained simultaneously to evaluate their diagnostic performance in children with suspected MP. Two commercially available PCR tests, multiplex PCR and Smart Gene Myco, were used to analyse the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples, respectively. Furthermore, real-time PCR (RT-PCR) tests were conducted on both sample residues to validate the results. In total, 422 participants underwent simultaneous PCR testing using nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs; 139 samples (32.9%) from nasopharyngeal swabs and 176 samples (41.7%) from oropharyngeal samples that tested positive using commercially available tests. RT-PCR tests were positive for 136 (32.2%) nasopharyngeal and 183 (43.4%) oropharyngeal residual samples. With the RT-PCR test of the residual extract from oropharyngeal swabs as a reference, the sensitivity and specificity of detecting MP were 74.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 67.9%-81.0%) and 99.2% (CI 97.0%- 99.9%) with the multiplex PCR test on nasopharyngeal swabs, and 96.2% (CI 92.3%-98.4%) and 100.0% (CI 98.5%- 100.0%) with the Smart Gene Myco on oropharyngeal samples. A negative correlation was observed between fluoroquinolone use and oropharyngeal DNA loads (P=0.004). The sensitivity of MP detection was significantly beter in oropharyngeal samples than in nasopharyngeal samples.
This study indicates that oropharyngeal samples should be used to detect MP rather than nasopharyngeal samples. Obtaining the best sample is crucial for the accurate diagnosis of M. pneumoniae and timely and appropriate treatment. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of MP detection using PCR tests between nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples. This study showed that the sensitivity of detecting MP was 74.9% (95% CI 67.9%-81.0%) with a commercially available PCR test on nasopharyngeal swabs, and 96.2% (CI 92.3%-98.4%) with a commercially available PCR test on oropharyngeal samples. The sensitivity of MP detection was significantly beter in oropharyngeal samples than in nasopharyngeal samples. This study supports the idea that oropharyngeal samples should be used to detect MP. The results contribute to guidance in the recommendation regarding sampling methods to detect MP. Accurate identification of MP is crucial not only for timely and appropriate antimicrobial treatment but also for efficient epidemiological surveillance.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae Outbreak in 2023: Post-pandemic Resurgence of an Atypical Bacterial Pathogen Upadhyay P, Singh V. Cureus. 2024 Apr 22;16(4):e58757. doi: 10.7759/cureus.58757. eCollection 2024 Apr.
The syndromic nature of infections caused by pneumonia-causing pathogens including Mycoplasma pneumoniae necessitates detection via multiplex PCR for accurate and timely diagnosis to
positive for M. pneumoniae was 10 (interquartile range [IQR] 8–18) years with an almost equal distribution between male and female patients. Other respiratory, viral and bacterial, pathogens detected in samples positive for M. pneumoniae were similar in proportion to the M. pneumoniae-negative population. A survey of the ICD-10 codes submited
in conjunction with the samples suggests that the current outbreak is mostly associated with upper respiratory tract infections. The present study is the first detailed report in the United States that shows an unprecedented increase in the detection of M. pneumoniae in the outpatient population during 2023. This analysis suggests that the outbreak was not associated with any other bacterial or viral respiratory pathogen. The outbreak of this atypical pathogen was concentrated in the paediatric population in large urban areas. The 2023 outbreak could be a return of the cyclical M. pneumoniae outbreaks witnessed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the importance
of performing continuous surveillance of respiratory pathogens, especially in the altered epidemiological landscape of the post-COVID world.
Palm-sized CRISPR sensing platform for on-site Mycoplasma pneumoniae detection Li J, Huang H, Song Z et al. Biosens Bioelectron. 2025 Aug 1;281:117458. doi: 10.1016/
j.bios.2025.117458.
Pneumonia remains a prevalent childhood illness and is the foremost cause of mortality due to infectious diseases among children under the age of five. Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes the most frequent type of atypical pneumonia in
August 2026
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