Epidemiology and Seasonal Trends of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infections in Central Inner Mongolia, China (2023–2024): A Population‐Based Study

Objective: The objective of the study is to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection in the central region of Inner Mongolia from November 2023 to October 2024 and to provide evidence for the effective prevention and control of MP infections. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, retrospectively including patients from the People ' s Hospital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region who underwent both MP nucleic acid (MP-DNA) testing and MP-IgM antibody testing during the same period. Chi-square tests were used to compare the positive rates among different sexes, age groups, and seasons. McNemar ' s test was applied to evaluate the differences in positive rates between the two methods, and kappa values were used to assess the consistency between the two detection methods. During the study period, 19,330 MP-DNA tests and 15,335 MP-IgM tests were conducted. There was no statistically significant difference in the positive rate of MP-DNA between males and females (28.37% vs. 29.18%, p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in the positive rate of MP-IgM (18.41% vs. 21.07%, p < 0.001). The highest positive rates were observed in the pediatric group (0-17 years old) for both MP-DNA (34.77%) and MP-IgM (24.23%). Overall, the positive rates differed significantly among the age groups (MP-DNA chi(2) = 1215.31, p < 0.001; MP-IgM chi(2) = 725.42, p < 0.001). Seasonal analysis revealed that the highest positive rates for both MP-DNA and MP-IgM occurred in autumn (August to October) (36.45% vs. 28.23%). The highest positive detection rates for both MP-DNA and MP-IgM were found in patients diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infections. Analysis of 3140 subjects who underwent both nucleic acid and antibody testing revealed a statistically significant difference in positive rates between the two methods (p < 0.001), but the consistency level was low (kappa = 0.26). Conclusion: The results indicate that MP infection is prevalent among children and peaks in autumn. The low consistency between the MP-DNA and MP-IgM detection methods underscores the importance of combined diagnostic approaches. This study highlights the need for targeted disease surveillance and preventive measures on the basis of demographic and seasonal characteristics in the region.