TY - JOUR T1 - Mycoplasma pneumoniae detections before and detections before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a global survey, 2017 to 2021. JF - Euro Surveill Y1 - 2022 A1 - Patrick M Meyer Sauteur A1 - Michael L Beeton A1 - Søren A Uldum A1 - Nathalie Bossuyt A1 - Melissa Vermeulen A1 - Katherine Loens A1 - Sabine Pereyre A1 - Cécile Bébéar A1 - Darja Keše A1 - Jessica Day A1 - Afshar, Baharak A1 - Victoria J Chalker A1 - Gilbert Greub A1 - Ran Nir-Paz A1 - Roger Dumke KW - Communicable Disease Control KW - COVID-19 KW - Humans KW - Macrolides KW - Mycoplasma pneumoniae KW - Pandemics KW - Pneumonia, Mycoplasma AB -

Background respiratory infections are transmitted by aerosol and droplets in close contact.AimWe investigated global incidence after implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) against COVID-19 in March 2020.MethodsWe surveyed detections from laboratories and surveillance systems (national or regional) across the world from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 and compared them with cases from corresponding months between 2017 and 2020. Macrolide-resistant (MRMp) data were collected from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2021.ResultsThirty-seven sites from 21 countries in Europe, Asia, America and Oceania submitted valid datasets (631,104 tests). Among the 30,617 detections, 62.39% were based on direct test methods (predominantly PCR), 34.24% on a combination of PCR and serology (no distinction between methods) and 3.37% on serology alone (only IgM considered). In all countries, incidence by direct test methods declined significantly after implementation of NPIs with a mean of 1.69% (SD ± 3.30) compared with 8.61% (SD ± 10.62) in previous years (p < 0.01). Detection rates decreased with direct but not with indirect test methods (serology) (-93.51% vs + 18.08%; p < 0.01). Direct detections remained low worldwide throughout April 2020 to March 2021 despite widely differing lockdown or school closure periods. Seven sites (Europe, Asia and America) reported MRMp detections in one of 22 investigated cases in April 2020 to March 2021 and 176 of 762 (23.10%) in previous years (p = 0.04).ConclusionsThis comprehensive collection of detections worldwide shows correlation between COVID-19 NPIs and significantly reduced detection numbers.

VL - 27 CP - 19 M3 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.19.2100746 ER -