Mycoplasma pneumonia: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatments
Mycoplasma pneumonia spreads through the respiratory system and the latency period is about 12-14 days on average. It is prevalent every three to four years, especially in autumn and winter. This is the highest incidence of childhood school children. M. pneumoniae affects respiratory ciliated epithelial cells and causes inflammation. After infection, the cold hemagglutinin response to the red blood cell I antigen begins to appear nonspecifically after one week, and increases by four times over four weeks and becomes negative after four months. The test for M. pneumonia specific antibodies includes complement binding test and immunofluorescence test, but indirect hemagglutination test is most widely used. It increases at the end of the first week after the onset and reaches its peak at 3 ~ 4 weeks and gradually decreases. Symptoms Clinical symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumonia are severe, long-standing cough and fever over 38 degrees. Headache, malaise, fever, runny nose, and sore throat ...