The Epidemiological Characteristics of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection and Coinfection among Children in Central China from 2018 to 2023

Background Mycoplasm pneumomiae(M. pneumoniae, MP) is a common cause of reapiratory infections in humans, particularly among children and adolescents. This study investigates the epidemiological characteristics of MP infection among children and its relationship with coinfections to provide guidance for local MP prevention strategies. Methods After data screening based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 163,058 pediatric patients with Acute Respiratory Tract Infection (ARTI) were enrolled in the study, ranging from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023. Results From 2018 to 2023, a total of 49,936 cases tested positive for MP, resulting in an overall positive rate of 30.62%. During this period, the annual positive rates were as follows: 45.92%, 32.23%, 22.84%, 16.22%, 16.26%, and 42.93%, respectively. The highest positive rate was observed in autumn (35.13%, P < 0.001). School-aged children exhibited the highest positive rate (40.09%), while infants had the lowest (25.32%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the positive rate among girls (34.15%) was higher than that among boys (28.01%, P < 0.001). Among patients with MP infection, 14.27% were found to have coinfection with other pathogens, with viral infections accounting for 71.36% and bacterial infections for 28.64%. Notably, infants were more prone to coinfection with multiple pathogens (48.98%, P < 0.001). Conclusions MP infection is prevalent in children, with notable seasonal and age-dependent variations in positive rates. Coinfection with other pathogens is common, particularly in infants.