Incidence of mycoplasma pneumoniae in lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children

ABSTRACT

Two hundred infants and children suffering from lower respiratory tract infection and 53 healthy controls from the paediatrics clinic of El-Minia University hospital were the subjects of this study from Dec. 1992 to Aug. 1993. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was isolated from 20 percent of the patients. It was more prevalent in the age group 4-10 years [30 percent], followed by 10-12 years [11.6 percent] and finally those aging from 1 to 4 years [7.5 percent]. M. pneumoniae was isolated from three [5.6 percent] of the control group. The post-pharyngeal swabs were the ideal method for sampling M., pneumoniae, followed by gastric lavage and lastly the sputum samples. The incorporation of high percentage of bacterial inhibitors in addition to anaerobic incubation in a humid atmosphere at 37 C was essential for the primary isolation of the causative agent. The best medium for isolation of mycoplasma species was the SP4 medium followed by S. Hayflick and finally the biphasic media. The most sensitive and specific test for sero logical identification of M. pneumoniae colonies was the dot ELISA test. Moreover, the ideal method for detection of M. pneumoniae antibodies was the ELISA technique which showed better results than the complement fixation test