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Órgano Oficial del Hospital Ángeles Health System

2026, Number 4

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Acta Med 2026; 24 (4)

Community-acquired pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae during the epidemic outbreak of 2024 and 2025, in the pediatric population treated at Hospital Angeles Pedregal in Mexico City

Ortiz IFJ, Osorio MMF, Flores GLX, López GDA, Orozco GA

Language: Spanish
References: 22
Page: 383-388
PDF size: 564.73 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Introduction: in recent years, Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in the pediatric group has shown an increased incidence worldwide. Objective: this study describes the increase in Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infections in children treated at Hospital Angeles Pedregal in Mexico City, from January 2024 to June 2025. Material and methods: we conducted a retrospective observational analysis of clinical records and molecular respiratory panel results from pediatric patients (0-18 years old) admitted with communityacquired pneumonia (CAP). Results: of 162 CAP patients, 122 underwent a molecular respiratory panel, and 115 (94.3%) tested positive for one or more pathogens. A total of 25 patients (20.49%) were diagnosed with MP, with 16 cases as a single infection and nine as coinfections. This prevalence is significantly higher than the 7.7% previously reported at our institution. The age range of affected patients was five months to 16 years, with a mean of 7.72 years. Most cases responded to macrolide therapy; six patients required additional methylprednisolone due to a weak initial response. None of the 25 MP patients required admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and no fatalities were recorded. Conclusion: these findings underscore a notable increase in the incidence of CAP due to MP in Mexico after the COVID-19 pandemic, which aligns with global epidemiological alerts.


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