ABSTRACT
Information about Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in tropical countries is scarce. This study reports the prevalence of anti-M. pneumoniae antibodies among schoolchildren from the tropical community of Palmares, Costa Rica. The serum samples were collected in July 1983 from 2021 children who represented 99 per cent of the county's schoolchildren. Immunofluorescense (IFA) and in some cases ELISA serological methods were applied. IFA seropositivity was high (53 per cent ) and ranged from 22 per cent to 79 per cent depending on the district. Marked differences in the prevalence of antibodies in children attending schools of neighboring communities, suggest that the school may be epidemiologically important as a focus to spread mycoplasma infections among children. The presence of a low percentage of antibodies (IgG,IgM and IgA) against the 168 kd- M.pneumoniae antigen suggested that there were few cases of active or recent infections