I. Ito et al., Culturally verified Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in Japan: a long-term observation from 1979-99, EPIDEM INFE, 127(2), 2001, pp. 365-367
We describe the prevalence of community-acquired M. pneumoniae pneumonia di
agnosed by culture methods in a single institute in Japan from January 1979
to December 1999. Cultures were performed in 2971 pneumonia cases and yiel
ded M. Pneumoniae in 508 cases. The epidemic peaks recurred regularly at 4-
year intervals (1980, 84, 88 and 91-2). Although a large epidemic has not o
ccurred since 1992, traces of epidemic periodicity have still persisted fro
m 1992 to 1999 at 3-year intervals.