Increasing Number of Clinically Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Children After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center Case Series

Karen N McCarthy¹, James Hatcher², Timothy Best², Marios Kaliakatsos^{3

4}, Jane Hassell³, Andrew Turnbull⁵, Peter Sidgwick⁶, Javier Gavela⁷, Jacob Simmonds⁸, Filip Kucera⁸, Adilia Warris^{1

9}, Seilesh Kadambari^{1

10}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
² Department of Microbiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
³ Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁴ Developmental Neurosciences Department, University College Longon, London, UK.
⁵ Respiratory Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁶ Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
⁷ Department of Cardiac Intensive Care, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
⁸ Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
⁹ MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
¹⁰ Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation Department, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

PMID: 39716373
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piae132

Increasing Number of Clinically Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Children After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center Case Series

Karen N McCarthy et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025.

. 2025 Jan 20;14(1):piae132.

doi: 10.1093/jpids/piae132.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
² Department of Microbiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
³ Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁴ Developmental Neurosciences Department, University College Longon, London, UK.
⁵ Respiratory Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁶ Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
⁷ Department of Cardiac Intensive Care, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
⁸ Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
⁹ MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
¹⁰ Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation Department, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

PMID: 39716373
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piae132

Abstract

In 2024, there have been increases in laboratory-confirmed infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae worldwide. This case series highlights the increasing frequency of M. pneumoniae-positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) specimens and an increased number of hospital admissions with M. pneumoniae clinical syndromes. Within this case series, we observed a change in the epidemiology and clinical burden of childhood M. pneumoniae disease in the post-COVID-19 era.

Keywords: COVID-19; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; children; epidemiology.

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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Comment in

Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae, North Dakota 2024.
Douvoyiannis M, Rothstein TE, Patel R. Douvoyiannis M, et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025 Jan 20;14(1):piae117. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piae117. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025. PMID: 39570300
Walking (Pneumonia) Down Memory Lane: Mycoplasma pneumoniae Returns.
Same RG, Gerber JS. Same RG, et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025 Feb 6;14(2):piaf006. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piaf006. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025. PMID: 39868571 No abstract available.

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Increasing Number of Clinically Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Children After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center Case Series

Affiliations

Increasing Number of Clinically Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Children After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center Case Series

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Comment in

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Medical