The World Health Organization (WHO) has been monitoring data from China’s surveillance system since mid-October 2023 after it discovered an unusual increase in the number of undiagnosed respiratory illnesses, similar to pneumonia, among children from northern China.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been monitoring data from China’s surveillance system since mid-October 2023 after it discovered an unusual increase in the number of undiagnosed respiratory illnesses, similar to pneumonia, among children from northern China.
Children’s hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and other places are overwhelmed with children seeking treatment for pneumonia, and school classes are on the verge of suspension. Considering the context that gave rise to the covid-19 pandemic, this situation has raised logical concerns across the globe.
old acquaintance
Chinese authorities attribute the increase in childhood respiratory illness rates to the lifting of restrictions due to covid-19, as well as the onset of the cold season and the spread of known pathogens such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. RSV), some adenoviruses and rhinoviruses, SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the new coronavirus, and to a large extent, bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae. To date, no unusual or new pathogens have been identified, nor have any unusual clinical manifestations been identified.
Many countries are facing significant increases in influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections during the winter peak following the Covid-19 pandemic, but in China, Mycoplasma pneumoniae Already more often. Despite its “surname,” it has also been associated with infections in anatomical sites other than the lungs, such as the skin, central nervous system, blood, heart, and joints.
Common causes of SARS
gender Mycoplasma It contains dozens of different species. It includes bacteria that lack cell walls and produce a variety of symptoms and infections. Mycoplasma pneumoniae Before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a common cause of respiratory infections, with a global incidence of 8.61% between 2017 and 2020. Severe outbreaks usually occur in late summer and early autumn.
Restrictions caused by covid-19 have reduced the incidence of this pathogen, but it currently remains a common cause of SARS. In fact, this bacterium is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (acquired in community settings as well as hospital settings or outside medical facilities) in healthy people under the age of 40. Up to 40% of community-acquired pneumonia, especially in school-age children, is caused by: Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
With the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, this organism has become the most common bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children requiring hospitalization in Western countries. Infections are also more common among people living in close quarters, such as prisoners and military personnel. Spread in homes, schools and institutions is slow but steady.
Reasons for concern
Mycoplasma pneumoniae It is spread through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person, especially when they cough and sneeze. The incubation period ranges from four days to three weeks. Typical symptoms can last from a few days to more than a month and include fever, cough, bronchitis, sore throat, headache and tiredness.Common consequences of infection Mycoplasma pneumoniae Is an attack of SARS that usually has mild symptoms and rarely requires hospitalization.
if infected Mycoplasma pneumoniae As appears to be happening in China, the re-emergence of this bacterium may affect a world population that has not been exposed to this bacterium in the past three years and lead to an increase in severe rare diseases and extrapulmonary manifestations.
another Mycoplasma, Mycoplasma genitalium, also attracted attention. It is increasingly recognized as an emerging sexually transmitted pathogen and a cause of nongonococcal urethritis and cervicitis, and has been associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, female reproductive tract complications, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
antibiotic resistance
How to fight infection? Mycoplasma? Some antibiotics, such as penicillin, destroy bacteria by attacking the cell wall, but because mycoplasmas lack a cell wall, they are inherently resistant to the large family of beta-lactam antibiotics. Therefore, antimicrobial treatment options are limited.
Historically, macrolides (e.g., azithromycin), tetracyclines (e.g., doxycycline), and fluoroquinolones have been effective against mycoplasma infections.However, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant urogenital mycoplasmas, e.g. Mycoplasma hominis,increase yearly.
Macrolides are generally considered the treatment of choice.Unfortunately, overreliance on these medications leads to Mycoplasma pneumoniae Resistance also developed.
Studies have shown that the resistance rate of pathogenic bacteria to macrolide drugs in Beijing is between 70% and 90%. Resistance to this class of antibiotics has also been reported in the United States and Europe. Tetracyclines are an alternative drug to treat adults who may have infections due to: Mycoplasma pneumoniae Macrolide resistance.
These resistances may lead to high hospitalization rates Mycoplasma pneumoniae Registered in China because they make treatment difficult and delay recovery from bacterial pneumonia infections.
Let us remember that careful and appropriate use of antibiotics is a necessity and a key factor in reducing the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Raúl Rivas González, Professor of Microbiology.Member of the Spanish Society of Microbiology, University of Salamanca
This article originally appeared on The Conversation. Read the original article.