Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Children with Acute Respiratory Infection in General Practices in The Netherlands

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 13 - 17
• Main Authors: TJHIE, J. H. T, DORIGO-ZETSMA, J. W, ROOSENDAAL, R, VAN DEN BRULE, A. J. C, BESTEBROER, T. M, BARTELDS, A. I. M, VANDENBROUCKE-GRAULS, C. M. J. E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Informa UK Ltd 2000; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the respiratory system; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Chlamydia pneumoniae; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - genetics; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Family Practice; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Mycoplasma pneumoniae - genetics; Mycoplasma pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Netherlands; Netherlands - epidemiology; Nose - microbiology; Pharynx - microbiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Retrospective Studies; Seasons; Netherlands; Europe; Human; Lung disease; Chlamydia pneumoniae; Pneumonia; Chlamydiaceae; Respiratory disease; Acute; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Mycoplasmataceae; Infection; Mollicutes; Polymerase chain reaction; Mycoplasmatales; Etiology; Chlamydiales; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Diagnosis; Molecular biology; Detection; Child
• ISSN: 0036-5548; 1651-1980
• DOI: 10.1080/00365540050164155

In this retrospective study Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples (n=457) from children presenting with acute respiratory infection to general practitioners during 1992-97. Samples were collected in autumn and winter, and from 1994 onwards in spring and summer also. Overall, C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae were detected in throat or nasal samples by PCR in 3.1% and 2.4% of the cases, respectively. The proportion of both C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae infections varied between 0% and 6.9% over the years studied, whereas seasonal proportions varied from 1.8 to 9.1% and 1.2 to 4.5%, respectively. For both microorganisms the lowest proportion was detected during winter and the highest in summer. C. pneumoniae could already be detected by PCR in patients under 4 y of age, an observation not made in sero-epidemiological studies. In conclusion, both C. pneumoniae and M. pneumoniae infections play a minor role in children presenting with acute respiratory infection.