[Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in Switzerland and other countries]

Lower respiratory tract infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae are most often characterized by mild, self-limiting symptoms, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. They mainly affect schoolaged children and young adults, in whom this germ is the third leading cause of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Infection with a macrolide-resistant strain of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MR-MP) presents with a similar clinical picture; however, the duration of fever, cough, and hospitalization tends to be prolonged. The prolonged duration of symptoms is not associated with an increased risk of complications, but it often leads to a delay in the initiation of appropriate treatment. In Switzerland, doxycycline is currently considered the first-line treatment for MR-MP infection in adults.