Epidemiological and clinical study of Mycoplasma pneumoniae respiratory infections in children hospitalized in a pediatric ward between 1999 and 2005 at the Reims University Hospital

To determine the frequency, clinical features, and morbidity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. Retrospective study of 76 consecutive children under 16 years of age hospitalized at the Reims University Hospital from 1999 to 2005 with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. The infection was defined by the presence of M antibodies and/or an increase in G antibodies (quantitative Elisa test). M. pneumoniae was the cause of 16% (76/464) of hospitalized pneumonia cases. A significantly increased frequency was observed in 2004 (34%; 19/56) and 2005 (26%; 22/84) versus 11% from 1999 to 2003, p