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 ]
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
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.
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AliG
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posted
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.
[ 03. August 2008, 10:43 AM: Message edited by: AliG ]
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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kelmo
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Member # 8797
posted
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.
posted
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.
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. The apartment was brand new when I moved in and was not even two years old when I move out.
Posts: 109 | From San Antonio,Tx | Registered: May 2008
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cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
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.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
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.
Posts: 37 | From Ohio | Registered: May 2007
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
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
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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AliG
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posted
Thank you all for the great input!
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!
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.
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.
Why can't they all report these things the same way? It's very frustrating.
Do we know what the best treatment and term is for this?
[ 03. August 2008, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: AliG ]
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Mathias
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5298
posted
Start with Zithromax. Like lyme, treat until after you are clear of symptoms.
-------------------- Mathias Posts: 1250 | From New Jersey | Registered: Feb 2004
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lymeHerx001
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6215
posted
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.
Posts: 2905 | From New England | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
since cdc is open about it can a regular physician order and can be run through labcorp/quest?
-------------------- Seeking renewed health & vitality. --------------------------------- Do not take anything I say as medical advice - I am NOT a dr! Posts: 830 | From TN | Registered: Aug 2007
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
Hmmmm.... interesting question cj.
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
Any physician can order a mycoplasma pneumonia test. Mine was done at Focus Diagnostics lab.
posted
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*
Posts: 116 | From Bisbee, AZ USA | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
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*
Posts: 116 | From Bisbee, AZ USA | Registered: Sep 2005
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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*
Posts: 116 | From Bisbee, AZ USA | Registered: Sep 2005
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
Timaca,
Thanks for the link & the link-shrink!
Ali
[ 05. August 2008, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: AliG ]
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
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.
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.
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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The apartment was brand new when I moved in and was not even two years old when I move out.
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