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Better detection methods needed for Mycoplasma pneumoniae
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Transmission of Mycoplasma pneumoniae can occur among close contacts in schools, and better detection testing methods are needed, according to results of a study published online recently.
Yoko Matsuzaki, MD, PhD, of the department of infectious diseases at Yamagata University in Japan, indicated that a cluster of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae infections in Japan holds some important teaching points for clinicians. The researchers collected96throat swab specimens from patients aged 6 to 15 years who may have had M. pneumoniae infection between July 2009 and January 2010 while attending four schools in or near the town of Yamanobe. The researchers said 47 specimens were positive for M. pneumoniae.
“An A2063T mutation in domain V of the 23S rRNA gene, which is associated with macrolide resistance, was identified in 39 isolates,” the researchers wrote.
Macrolide resistance rates were high in two schools — 96% and 87% — but researchers reported that no resistant specimens were found in the third school; testing conducted among students in the fourth school did not detect any M. pneumoniae. Clarithromycin resistance rates were also high, researchers wrote.
“Early detection of M. pneumoniae in a clinical setting is also crucial, but effective methods of detection are lacking,” the researchers concluded. “The development of rapid antigen tests such as those used for influenza virus, surveillance of the spread of macrolide resistance and the establishment of clinical guidelines for the appropriate treatment of macrolide-resistant strains will be needed to control future outbreaks of M. pneumoniae infection.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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