LymeNet Flash: CDC info on Mycoplasma pneumoniae - (one of Bb's possible perpetuating co-infections)

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Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :

CDC info on Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Clinical Features

Majority with upper respiratory tract infections
with fever, cough, malaise, and headache.

May lead to tracheobronchitis with fever and
nonproductive cough: radiologically confirmed
pneumonia develops in 5-10% of cases;

rare extrapulmonary syndromes, including
cardiologic, neurologic, and dermatologic
findings.

Etiologic Agent

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a small bacterium.

Incidence

Each year an estimated 2 million cases and 100,000
pneumonia-related hospitalizations occur in the
United States.

Sequelae

Persistent cough is common during convalescence;
other sequelae are rare.

Fatal cases are reported occasionally, primarily
among the elderly and persons with sickle-cell
disease.

Transmission

Person-to-person transmission by contact with
respiratory secretions. Incubation period is 1 to
4 weeks.

Risk Groups

Persons of all ages are at risk but rarely
children less than 5 years old. It is the leading
cause of pneumonia in school-age children and
young adults.

Outbreaks can occur especially in crowded military
and institutional (e.g., college) settings.
Outbreaks in these settings can last several
months.

Surveillance

No national surveillance system exists.

Trends

Unknown. However, with improved diagnostic
testing, more cases may be identified.

Challenges

Diagnosis of acute infections remains difficult;
therefore, early recognition of outbreaks has
been problematic. Challenge: prevent secondary
cases in outbreak by prompt initiation of control
measures.

Opportunities

Basic diagnostic strategy in clinical practice
includes serology and standard polymerase chain
reaction (PCR).

New diagnostic techniques (PCR-related methods)
may enable more rapid diagnosis.

Exploration of the role of M. pneumoniae in
community-acquired pneumonia and as a potential
cofactor in severe pneumonia.

[ 03. August 2008, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: AliG ]

Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :

I do wonder if I have this one, as right after my tick bite, I got

a lot of nasty cold like sx hat I proceeded to give to my parents.

Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :

I'm thinking that this one might explain why several
times after starting a new ABX and when highly
stressed, I've seemed to co-incidentally come down
with really nasty URTIs. [Frown]

[ 03. August 2008, 10:43 AM: Message edited by: AliG ]

Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :

That was the only known infection my daughter was positive for when she first started getting sick.

After I found Garth Nicolson's IMMED www.immed.org and corresponded with him, that sent me on the search for a doctor who would prescribe long term abx.

At the time, our primary care told us that mycoplasma pneumonia goes away on its own, but he gave my daughter two weeks doxy. It started an improvement, but didn't take care of it. We begged for more, and couldn't get it.

From there, she spent a year declining in health. After being sent on a specialist goose chase, we came back to our PCP and he said she should get her psyche meds checked. Then, to shut us up, he gave in to my pleas to have the mycoplasma titers rechecked. he said that mycoplasma going systemic was so rare, it couldn't possibly be an issue.

The humble doc called with the results. My daughter's mycoplasma titers were higher after a year. I gave him all my research from Garth Nicolson's site, but he didn't feel comfortable doing long term abx. That's okay, my daughter never wanted to see that doctor again, anyway.

Since finding our LLMD, she was then diagnosed with bartonella. She also had EBV and Parvo.

I am going to a pulminologist this morning, and I'm going to ask for a mycoplasma blood test. I have already had a positive through Fry for the hemobartonella, and I'm positive on band 41, which I am now beginning to think that it may be an indicator for mycoplasma. That's my opinion.

I have also had EBV and Parvo, and a viral pneumonia that landed me in the hospital for over a week. I'm now wondering if there was mycoplasma involved.

I believe it's a contributor to our illness, but I think a lot of the abx we take for the other organisms get to the mycoplasma, as well.

Kelly

Posted by Nora DeBoard (Member # 15600) on :

I had some labs ran and found I do have this.
Although I did not have any issues with major sinus problems till moving into an apartment that was infected with HIGH levels of mold.

I didn't know till two years of living there. I knew something was wrong after comming down with severe case of Bronchitis and Plurisy. Which took 3 different rounds of antibiotics and 8wks to clear up.

I was VERY sick! The only thing is the cough never seemed to go away. It was like a dry cough. Now I am coughing more now than ever. Doc said that it seems to be a old infection and not a recent one. [confused]

By the way, I NO longer live there and am suing them. I did not know I had Lyme at the time and was obviously overwhelmed by toxins from Lyme and the mold. [dizzy]

The apartment was brand new when I moved in and was not even two years old when I move out.

Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :

I had two very nasty boughts of bronchitis right before symptoms hit me hard, i often wonder if this is part of my illness too.

I have high IGG response. Im on zithromax/malarone for babs now, so we shall see.

have to add I havent had bronchitis since getting lymed, which i find very odd.

Posted by SpottedRocky (Member # 11970) on :

I tested positive for this too when i first started treatment. A few months later i did test negative so i'm assuming its gone now.

Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :

I have talked with the experts on mycoplasma at Univ. of San Antonia, Texas. (Google Dr. Baseman, mycoplasma and you'll get some articles).

If you have an IgG titer of 1:200 or greater or a positive IgM titer then you can consider that mycoplasma may be part of your problem.

Titers less than 1:200 on IgG would not indicate a chronic infection.

Also check for chlamydia pneumonia if you are considering testing for mycoplasma. See: www.cpnhelp.org for info.

I'm positive for Cpn, but negative for mycoplasma.

Testing for both can be done at Focus Diagnostics Lab.

Best,
Timaca

Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :

Thank you all for the great input! [Smile]

Kelly, I have to say, you're such a great Mom.
I hope your daughter appreciates what a great
advocate she has in her corner! [group hug]

It's said to be very contagious so it wouldn't
surprise me, at all, to find out that you have it
too. Though I hope & pray that you don't, I hope
that they find it if you do, so you can get
treated.

Nora-
What seems to be an old infection? A cough that
never goes away??? I'm not sure that I'd buy
that one. [shake]

quote:
Originally posted by cantgiveupyet:

have to add I havent had bronchitis since getting lymed, which i find very odd.

I've noticed this, as well, and thought it odd.
I guess it might be making some sense for us now.

Spotted,

I have no idea how reliable the testing is for
this one, but I haven't heard anyone speak of
false-negatives. I hope that you're in the clear.

Thanks for the stats and Link, Timaca.
That's definitely helpful info.

I did test negative for the Chlamydia pneumonia.
I just checked my labs and my stupid results for
the Mycoplasma pneumonia are reported as IgG
positive Index=2.16, what that converts to in a
titer ????, I don't know. [Roll Eyes]

Why can't they all report these things the same
way? It's very frustrating. [Frown]

Do we know what the best treatment and term is for
this?

[confused]

[ 03. August 2008, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: AliG ]

Posted by Mathias (Member # 5298) on :

Start with Zithromax. Like lyme, treat until after you are clear of symptoms.

Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :

Im positive for this. Both IGG and IGM.

My LLMD says that this what might be causing most of my symptoms now.

Its a pain to get rid of.

Posted by cjnelson (Member # 12928) on :

since cdc is open about it can a regular physician order and can be run through labcorp/quest?

Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :

Hmmmm....
interesting question cj. [Big Grin]

Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :

Any physician can order a mycoplasma pneumonia test. Mine was done at Focus Diagnostics lab.

Focus Diagnostics lab

Type in code number 40737

[ 03. August 2008, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: timaca ]

Posted by BugBit (Member # 7829) on :

Yes, if you are a long-term Lymie, you have a number of bacteria and viruses to deal with including mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Herpes VI, Epstein-Barr and more. Then there are the known co-infections, Babs, Erlichia and the rest.

In me, I had to pulse antibiotics and chelation to peel away them all away before I could get to the Lyme because Bb hide behind the toxins and other bacteria and virii, and Bb can morph and pretend to look like everything but what they are.
In me, the Bb were always the last to show.
Cheers and good luck, it is not an easy fix.
*BugBit*

Posted by BugBit (Member # 7829) on :

PS - I had a LLMD once who ordered a panel of labs that showed me exactly what I had going in terms of virus and selected bacteria - most helpful. If you want to know the name of the lab and what was tested, email me and I will dig it out.
All I remember was that I was positive for the above mentioned and a few more.

Also, a "Striker" test might be helpful. Dr. Striker is/was(?) a researcher who came up with some interesting ideas on Lyme.

Good Luck,
*BugBit*

Posted by BugBit (Member # 7829) on :

PPS:

Oh ya, Most all Lymies are sensitive to MOLD.

Mold causes the symptoms you describe and also small joint pain where Bb causes large joint pain.

In Me, it is the viruses that cause the muscle pain and Bb that causes the twitches and palsies.

Good Luck,
*BugBit*

Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :

Timaca,

Thanks for the link [Smile]

& the link-shrink! [Wink]

Ali

[ 05. August 2008, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: AliG ]

Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :

Thanks Mathias,

I had no real benefit from Zith. I believe that it's because it doesn't cross the BBB to any decent extent. [Frown]

Thanks for all the info Bugbit-

Funny thing....

The recent comprehensive battery of tests I had done showed evidence of infections for which I had previously tested negative.

They were infections for which I hadn't known the testing to be inaccurate.

I'm thinking that perhaps the course of Levaquin I had recently taken was sufficient to take down the BLO and/or mycoplasma (if it works on it) enough for my immune system to go after the other infections.

I do believe that either one can inhibit the immune system, if I'm not mistaken.

[confused]