tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Public Health
. 2026 Mar 6:14:1762939.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1762939. eCollection 2026.
Analysis of influenza A, influenza B and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Xi'an from 2021 to 2023
Haijin Zhang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Guihua Zhuang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bingtong Zhao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zengguo Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Objective: To evaluate the occurrence of three pathogens, influenza virus A (FluA), influenza virus B (FluB) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) in children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) between 2021 and 2023.
Methods: FluA, FluB and Mp were detected by antigen/antibody kit in specimens from 29,014 children with ARTI admitted to Xi'an Children's Hospital.
Results: The total pathogen detection rate was 43.79% (12,707/29014) with 30.14% (8,745/29014) Mp-positive cases, 7.08% (55/29014) FluA-positive and 6.57% (1907/29014) FluB-positive. Total detection rates were 28.05% (2,472/8813) in 2021, 29.38% (2,550/8680) in 2022 and 66.70% (7,685/11521) in 2023. Co-infection rates with two or more pathogens increased over the period of interest from 0.75% (66/8813) in 2021, 0.93% (81/8680) in 2022 to 2.38% (274/11521) in 2023 (χ [SUP]2[/SUP] = 115.931, p < 0.001). FluA detection also increased and was present in 0.53% cases in 2021, 6.01% in 2022 and 12.90% in 2023, reaching a peak in February 2023 of 17.83% and March 2023 of 64.42%. FluB detection rates were more stable at 5.25% in 2021, 7.67% in 2022 and 6.75% in 2023, reaching a peak of 22.17% in December 2023. Mp detection was higher in 2023 at 47.05% with a peak of 82.21% in October 2023 than in 2021 (15.89%) or 2022 (15.69%). More FluA-positive cases were seen in the >12 age groups than in younger children and FluB detection also increased with age. Mp infection was detected in the >4 age group.
Conclusion: The pathogen spectrum and epidemiology of ARTI changed between 2021 and 2023. Age-specific bandings of infection were seen in the cohort of children. Outbreaks of FluA, FluB and Mp influence the pathology of ARTI.
Keywords: Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Xi’an; acute respiratory tract infection; influenza A/B; pediatric respiratory infection.
. 2026 Mar 6:14:1762939.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1762939. eCollection 2026.
Analysis of influenza A, influenza B and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Xi'an from 2021 to 2023
Haijin Zhang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Guihua Zhuang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bingtong Zhao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zengguo Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 41869630
- PMCID: PMC13002786
- DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1762939
Objective: To evaluate the occurrence of three pathogens, influenza virus A (FluA), influenza virus B (FluB) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) in children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) between 2021 and 2023.
Methods: FluA, FluB and Mp were detected by antigen/antibody kit in specimens from 29,014 children with ARTI admitted to Xi'an Children's Hospital.
Results: The total pathogen detection rate was 43.79% (12,707/29014) with 30.14% (8,745/29014) Mp-positive cases, 7.08% (55/29014) FluA-positive and 6.57% (1907/29014) FluB-positive. Total detection rates were 28.05% (2,472/8813) in 2021, 29.38% (2,550/8680) in 2022 and 66.70% (7,685/11521) in 2023. Co-infection rates with two or more pathogens increased over the period of interest from 0.75% (66/8813) in 2021, 0.93% (81/8680) in 2022 to 2.38% (274/11521) in 2023 (χ [SUP]2[/SUP] = 115.931, p < 0.001). FluA detection also increased and was present in 0.53% cases in 2021, 6.01% in 2022 and 12.90% in 2023, reaching a peak in February 2023 of 17.83% and March 2023 of 64.42%. FluB detection rates were more stable at 5.25% in 2021, 7.67% in 2022 and 6.75% in 2023, reaching a peak of 22.17% in December 2023. Mp detection was higher in 2023 at 47.05% with a peak of 82.21% in October 2023 than in 2021 (15.89%) or 2022 (15.69%). More FluA-positive cases were seen in the >12 age groups than in younger children and FluB detection also increased with age. Mp infection was detected in the >4 age group.
Conclusion: The pathogen spectrum and epidemiology of ARTI changed between 2021 and 2023. Age-specific bandings of infection were seen in the cohort of children. Outbreaks of FluA, FluB and Mp influence the pathology of ARTI.
Keywords: Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Xi’an; acute respiratory tract infection; influenza A/B; pediatric respiratory infection.