Mycoplasma pneumonia positive = Mycoplasma pneumonia? In the high season of respiratory infectious diseases, don’t miss this article

gossip

Autumn and winter are the peak seasons for respiratory infectious diseases. Recently, reports have shown that the proportion of patients visiting fever clinics who are infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae has increased, which has attracted some attention. There is a rumor that a positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae result means that one has Mycoplasma pneumonia . Is this true?

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analyze

In fact, Mycoplasma pneumonia positivity and Mycoplasma pneumonia are two completely different things .

What is Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae positive?

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pathogen that can cause respiratory tract infections and human mycoplasma pneumonia . It is a type of mycoplasma, which is the smallest of the known pathogenic microorganisms that can live independently, between bacteria and viruses. It has no cell wall structure, so antibiotics targeting bacterial cell walls have no killing effect on it. Mycoplasma pneumoniae has a special terminal structure at one end that allows it to adhere to the surface of respiratory mucosal epithelial cells and cause lung infection, so it is called Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae positivity actually refers to Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody positivity. When mycoplasma infects the human body, the B cells in the immune system will specifically recognize the antigen, proliferate and differentiate into plasma cells, synthesize and secrete a type of globulin with immune function that can specifically bind to the corresponding antigen, namely antibodies (mainly including IgM antibodies and IgG antibodies). When there is no infection, the corresponding antibodies cannot be detected in the body, that is, negative. On the contrary, when the corresponding antibodies are detected, it can be determined as antibody positive.

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If the Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody is determined to be positive, does it mean that mycoplasma infection and pneumonia have occurred?

The answer is not necessarily.

A positive result for Mycoplasma pneumoniae indicates possible infection with the pathogen, but it cannot be 100% certain of infection . Mycoplasma detection methods include PCR detection of nucleic acid and ELISA detection of antibodies. A positive result for Mycoplasma pneumoniae generally refers to a positive antibody. There are two types of mycoplasma antibodies: IgM antibodies and IgG antibodies. If the IgM antibody is positive, it indicates an acute infection; if only the IgG antibody is positive, it indicates a previous infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In addition, any clinical detection method has a certain false positive rate . Therefore, a positive antibody test does not mean infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Although the name of Mycoplasma pneumoniae contains "pneumonia", it does not mean that pneumonia will occur after infection . As a common pathogen transmitted through the respiratory tract, it can cause upper respiratory tract infections such as pharyngitis and tonsillitis, and may also cause lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Some infected people do not have any symptoms.

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Whether a patient is infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and whether the infection progresses to pneumonia requires a comprehensive assessment based on onset time, clinical symptoms, physical examination, imaging examination, and etiological examination .

How can we take preventive measures to reduce the risk of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection?

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection can occur throughout the year, especially in late summer, autumn and winter. The main sources of infection are patients and carriers, mainly through air droplets , such as coughing and sneezing. Preschool and school-age children and adolescents over 5 years old are at high risk.

The incubation period after infection is 2-3 weeks, with fatigue, sore throat, headache, cough, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, myalgia, earache and other main symptoms . Coughs are mostly paroxysmal irritating coughs with a small amount of mucus sputum. Fever can last for 2-3 weeks, and coughing may still occur after the body temperature returns to normal.

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Preventive measures mainly include:

1. Stay away from sources of infection, open windows regularly for ventilation, and it is recommended to wear a mask when going to crowded and enclosed places.

2. Maintain good hand hygiene, wash your hands frequently with soap (hand sanitizer) and running water, or wipe your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

3. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, drink enough water, get enough sleep, and exercise moderately to enhance immunity.

in conclusion

In short, during the peak period of respiratory infectious diseases, if you have symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection such as cough and fever, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible, find out the cause, and receive targeted treatment. Do not take medicine on your own, or else delaying the course of the disease may lead to more serious conditions.

Author: Zhang Yu: Deputy Director and Researcher, Office of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Reviewer: Shi Jindong, Chief Physician of the Respiratory Department, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital

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