ROLE OF MYCOPLASMA-PNEUMONIAE IN ACUTE RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS IN SAUDI PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS

The role of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and viruses in the various clinical presentations of acute respiratory-tract infection (ARTI) was studied in Saudi children seen at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) betwe en January 1995 and January 1996. The study population comprised 511 c hildren (age < 14 years) of both sexes, Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) and acute-phase sera were collected. Convalescent sera were only avai lable from 334 of the patients (with an interval of 15-42 days between collection of the acute and corresponding convalescent sera). Respira tory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most commonly detected virus, found in 69% of patients. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, found in 9% of the patient s, appeared to be the second most common causative agent (this is the first time the prevalence of this agent in ARTI among Saudi children h as been studied), followed by influenza A virus (present in 8% of the patients). RSV was highly prevalent during the colder months (October- April), with a peak in January-February, whereas there was little seas onal fluctuation in the prevalence of IM. pneumoniae. Although most (6 0%) of the M. pneumoniae infections were in patients aged > 60 months, RSV was detected in 22% of the patients aged 1-5 months of age and on ly in 6% of those aged > 60 months. Infection with M. pneumoniae was f ound mainly in children with broncho-pneumonia (12 cases) and lobar pn eumonia (three cases). Most of those infected with RSV had bronchiolit is (53 cases), followed by bronchopneumonia (24 cases) and bronchial a sthma (20 cases). As their prevalences were low, it was difficult to d raw any conclusions about possible associations between the other vira l agents encountered (influenza, para-influenza and adenovirus) and cl inical disease.