Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children with lower respiratory tract infection

ABSTRACT

Two hundred children with lower respiratory tract manifestations were investigated for Mycoplasma pneumoniae, using the diphasic culture medium for its isolation and the ELISA test, for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, specific IgM. The organism was isolated from the nasopharyngeal specimens of 8% of the causes, in 3% of these it was associated with other bacterial or viral pathogens. The sera of all the positive cases showed high titer of specific IgM for mycoplasma, but only eight of these showed significantly rising titer. The organism significantly isolated in the older age group. The results of this study denoted that Mycoplasma pneumoniae plays a role in lower respiratory tract infections among children, which must be a point of awareness during their management