Mycoplasma pneumonia is an infection of the lungs by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae). This type of pneumonia is also called atypical pneumonia because the symptoms are different from those of pneumonia due to other common bacteria.People who live or work in crowded areas such as schools and homeless shelters have a high chance of getting this condition. But many people who get sick with it have no known risk factors.
Of the 30 countries contacted, 20 replied to the questionnaire (response rate: 67%). Of those that replied, 13 reported having some type of surveillance activities providing data to monitor M. pneumoniae infections. Seven countries had no available data that could be used to indicate changes in reporting rates for M. pneumoniae infections during 2011 compared with previous seasons. Of the 13 countries monitoring M. pneumoniae, seven indicated observing an increase compared with 2010 while six indicated no such increase (Belgium, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain).
MP is a bacterial infection the first line of treatment is antibiotics. Antibiotics must differ for children to avoid any potentially dangerous side effects. Macrolides, the first choice of antibiotics for children, include:erythromycin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin. Antibiotics prescribed for adults include: doxycycline, tetracycline, quinolones, Corticosteroids. Not all people respond to antibiotic treatment. Treatment for those who are unresponsive to antibiotics or complications of illness include corticosteroids: prednisolone, methylprednisone, Immunomodulatory Therapy.
Future studies, with new molecular techniques to better detect infections due to the wide range ofpathogens, will broaden our understanding of the cause of pneumonia and may highlight which pathogens should be the targets for new vaccines. Despite the lack of data, mainly for the developing regions of the world, morbidity and mortality estimates and the main risk factors presented in this review could contribute to an understanding of the burden of acute lower respiratory infections in children aged less than 5 years.