Rare occurrence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection among
Jordanian adults with respiratory tract infections

Nathir M. Obeidat A1, Luay F. Qatouseh A2, Asem A. Shehabi A2

 

Taylor & Francis, Volume 17, Number 4 / April 2005, Pages 216-218, DOI: 10.1080/08910600600600232

 

A1 Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Jordan University Hospital, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
A2 Department of Pathology-Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

 

Abstract: A prospective study using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture demonstrated the absence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the throats of 100 Jordanian adult patients with respiratory tract infections and 100 healthy controls over a period of 8 months (2003–2004). However, a retrospective study covering a period of 24 months (2003–2005) indicated that M. pneumoniae serological tests were only positive in 1/15 (7.1%) of adults and 4/29 (13.8%) of children among suspected infected patients. These results suggest that M. pneumoniae infection occurs rarely in Jordanian adults and may be attributed to the prevalence of dry weather for most of the year in Jordan.

Keywords: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, polymerase chain reaction, respiratory tract infections, Jordan