Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections among Children before and during COVID-19 Pandemic, Taiwan, 2017-2023

Emerg Infect Dis. 2024 Aug;30(8):1692-1696. doi: 10.3201/eid3008.231596.

Abstract

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections emerged during spring to summer yearly in Taiwan, but infections were few during the pandemic. M. pneumoniae macrolide resistance soared to 85.7% in 2020 but declined to 0% during 2022-2023. Continued molecular surveillance is necessary to monitor trends in macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae.

Keywords: COVID-19; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; Taiwan; antimicrobial resistance; bacteria; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; macrolide resistance; molecular epidemiology; multilocus sequence typing; pneumonia; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents* / therapeutic use
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Macrolides* / pharmacology
  • Macrolides* / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae* / drug effects
  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae* / genetics
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* / drug therapy
  • Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* / microbiology
  • SARS-CoV-2*
  • Taiwan / epidemiology

Substances

  • Macrolides
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents