Mycoplasma pneumonia is a common respiratory pathogen that produces diseases of varied severity ranging from mild upper respiratory tract infection to severe atypical pneumonia. This type of pneumonia is also called atypical pneumonia because the symptoms are different from those of pneumonia due to other common bacteria.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is spread when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes small droplets containing infectious agents into the air. The droplets in the air may be breathed in by those nearby. Infection may be spread by contact with hands, tissues and other articles soiled by infected nose and throat discharges. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is also spread by direct contact with the infected person.
Causes
Mycoplasma pneumonia usually affects people younger than 40. 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.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is spread when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes small droplets containing infectious agents into the air. The droplets in the air may be breathed in by those nearby. Infection may be spread by contact with hands, tissues and other articles soiled by infected nose and throat discharges. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is also spread by direct contact with the infected person.
Risk Factors
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of respiratory infections in school-age children and young adults. (Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is rare in children younger than 5.) Cough, sore throat, fever, and fatigue are common symptoms. Many people will have only mild infection and will recover on their own.
- Older adults
- People who have diseases that compromise their immune system, such as HIV
- People who have lung disease
- People who have sickle cell disease
- Children younger than age 5
People at highest risk include those who live or work in crowded settings, such as –
- Schools
- College dormitories
- Military barracks
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
People at risk for severe disease include people:
- Recovering from a respiratory illness
- With a weakened immune system
- With asthma
Symptoms
The most common type of illness, especially in children, is tracheobronchitis, commonly known as chest cold. This chest cold often comes with a few types of upper respiratory tract symptoms –
- Sore throat
- Being tired (fatigue)
- Fever
- Slowly worsening cough that can last for weeks or months
- Headache
Children younger than 5 years old often do not run a fever when they have M. pneumoniae infection. Instead they may have signs that appear more like a cold than pneumonia. They sometimes wheeze, vomit, and have diarrhea.
Less common symptoms include –
- Ear pain
- Eye pain or soreness
- Muscle aches
- joint stiffness
- and
- Neck lump
- Rapid breathing
- Skin lesions or rash
Complications
- Central nervous system problems
- Hematologic problems
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Skin problems
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Renal problems
- Ophthalmologic problems
- Cardiac problems
Treatment
Mycoplasma infection is usually treated with a macrolide antibiotic, usually erythromycin or roxithromycin. These reduce infectivity to others, and may improve respiratory symptoms as well as associated skin rash.
Clarithromycin, and azithromycin are more expensive, and may require approval from an Infectious Diseases Physician for their use in New Zealand. They require less frequent dosing than erythromycin or roxithromycin, and are less likely to result in gastrointestinal side effects.
No vaccine is available for Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.
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. Alternative treatments include the following corticosteroids –
- prednisolone
- methylprednisone