Surveillance of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection in Patients with Febrile Pneumonia in Sentinel Hospitals of Guangzhou from 2009 to 2024

Objective To analyze the monitoring results of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) in hospitalized pneumonia cases from sentinel hospitals in Guangzhou from 2009 to 2024, and to understand the epidemiological characteristics of MP.Methods Data on MP monitoring in hospitalized pneumonia cases from sentinel hospitals in Guangzhou over the years were collected through the Guangzhou Public Health Emergency Monitoring and Early Warning System. The differences in MP detection rates among different years, seasons, and age groups were analyzed.Results From January 2009 to July 2024, a total of 78,526 hospitalized pneumonia cases with fever were monitored in Guangzhou, of which 10,491 cases (13.4%) were positive for MP. Among children (≤14 years old), there were 7,982 MP-positive cases (27.4%). Over the past fifteen years, the detection rate of MP in Guangzhou has experienced two distinct high-level epidemic periods, one from 2010 to 2016 and the other from 2023 to 2024. MP infections in Guangzhou are more common in the fall, with the main peak occurring in October and November; the MP detection rate is highest in school-age children (6-14 years old), followed by preschool children (3-5 years old); the MP detection rate in females is higher than in males (P < 0.05).Conclusion The epidemiological characteristics of MP among hospitalized pneumonia cases with fever in Guangzhou have changed from 2009 to 2024. After a high-level epidemic from 2010 to 2016, there was a period of about six years of low-level epidemic, followed by another high-level epidemic from 2023 to 2024, with increased intensity. MP can be epidemic in all seasons, with a high incidence in the fall; the epidemic has a certain periodicity, with high-level epidemics lasting for several years. MP infections are common in preschool and school-age children, and MP infections in infants still need attention.