Mycoplasma pneumonia (also known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, MPP) is a form of bacterial pneumonia caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It is a cause of Community-acquired pneumonia. It is sometimes called walking pneumonia.
Signs and symptoms
M. pneumoniae is known to cause a host of symptoms such as primary atypical pneumonia, tracheobronchitis, and upper respiratory tract disease. Primary atypical pneumonia is one of the most severe types of manifestation, with tracheobronchitis being the most common symptom and another 15% of cases, usually adults, remain asymptomatic. Symptomatic infections tend to develop over a period of several days and manifestation of pneumonia can be confused with a number of other bacterial pathogens and conditions that cause pneumonia. Tracheobronchitis is most common in children due to a reduced immune system capacity, and up to 18% of infected children require hospitalization. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) serological assays are the most common method of M. pneumoniae detection used in patient diagnosis due to the low cost and relatively short testing time. One drawback of serology is that viable organisms are required, which may overstate the severity of infection.
The majority of antibiotics used to treat M. pneumoniae infections are targeted at bacterial rRNA in ribosomal complexes, including macrolides, tetracycline, ketolides, and fluoroquinolone, many of which can be administered orally. Macrolides are capable of reducing hyperresponsiveness and protecting the epithelial lining from oxidative and structural damage, however they are capable only of inhibiting bacteria (bacteriostatic) and are not able to cause bacterial cell death. The most common macrolides used in the treatment of infected children in Japan are erythromycin and clarithromycin, which inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding 23S rRNA.
Prevention
Transmission of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections is difficult to limit because of the several day period of infection before symptoms appear. The lack of proper diagnostic tools and effective treatment for the bacterium also contribute to the outbreak of infection.
As with all airborne disease, airborne precautions and routine indoor air management tools are likely to reduce transmission.
Vaccine design for M. pneumoniae has been focused primarily on prevention of host cell attachment, which would prevent initiation of cytotoxicity and subsequent symptoms. Introduction of peptides that block adhesion receptors on the surface of the host cell may also be able to prevent attachment of M. pneumoniae.
Epidemiology
The prevalence of mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) is greater among children than adults. Many adults remain asymptomatic, while children typically do not.