[Illness due to mycoplasma pneumoniae in childhood (author's transl)].

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection could be found in 16 from 92 children treated for respiratory disease in a Hungarian hospital. It was verified by growth inhibition test or by culturing germs from bronchial secretions. Seroology proved to be more effective than culture for identification. Illnesses due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae seem to be more frequent in the age group 0--3 years in Hungary than they are in western countries in the same age group. The authors assume that this high frequency is caused because children in this country are earlier admitted to community facilities (crèche, kindergarten, hospital) than in western countries. Therefore mycoplasma pneumoniae infection must be paid attention to also in acute respiratory diseases in the first 3 years of life, when children are admitted to community facilities.