Epidemic characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in hospitalized children in Xuzhou from 2013 to 2018

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection in children in Xuzhou area from 2013 to 2018, so as to provide evidence-based medical evidence for the prevention and treatment of MP infection in this area. Methods A total of 16 793 hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Xuzhou Children's Hospital from January 2013 to December 2018 were selected as the subjects. The detection rates of MP in different ages, genders, seasons and various respiratory tract diseases were analyzed. Results The positive rate of MP in 16 793 children was 31.0%, where the positive rate in girls (33.3%) was higher than that in boys (27.2%)(P<0.001). With the increase of age, the detection rate of MP gradually increased. MP was detected throughout the year, with the highest incidence in summer (58.0%) and the lowest incidence in spring (17.6%)(P<0.001). From 2013 to 2018, the detection rate of MP was 28.4%, 32.8%, 29.0%, 30.1%, 30.7%, and 34.1%, respectively, and the annual MP detection rate showed periodic fluctuations (P<0.001). The positive detection rate of MP in lobar pneumonia was the highest among all respiratory diseases. Conclusions From 2013 to 2018, the positive detection rate of MP in Xuzhou is 31%, and MP can be prevalent around the whole year. The incidence is highest in summer and lowest in spring. MP infection can be found in children of all ages, but most commonly seen in school-age children, and more girls are infected than boys. MP can be detected in a variety of respiratory infectious diseases, with the highest detection rate in lobar pneumonia.