Analysis of mycoplasma pneumoniae infection among children with respiratory tract infections in hospital in Chengdu from 2014 to 2020

Background: Respiratory tract infection (RTIs) is one of common diseases among the children. In recent years, the incidence of mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection rate has been increasing, which cause respiratory tract infection. This study sought to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of M. pneumoniae hospitalized children with RTIs to provide a theoretical basis for clinical diagnosis and treatments in Chengdu, China. Methods: The data of 22,882 cases of children who had been hospitalized for RTIs were collected. M. pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody was detected using the indirect immunofluorescence method and passive agglutination method. The demographic features of patients, clinical diagnoses and laboratory data were also analyzed. Results: A total of 4,213 children tested positive for M. pneumoniae. The total positive rate was 18.41% (18.30% for males and 22.72% for females). Female children had statistically significant higher positive rates than male children (chi2=198.078, P 0.05). There was negative correlation with PM2.5 (particulate matter in the air