Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41062935›Full record

ArticleBMC genomics2025

Comparative genomic analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolated in the United Kingdom, between 2016 and 2024.

Rediat Tewolde, Joshua C D'Aeth, Rebecca Thombre, Michael L Beeton, Richard S Rowlands, Samuel K Sheppard, Matthew D Hitchings, Ben Pascoe, Victoria J Chalker, Baharak Afshar

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC genomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Clonal replacement by a P1-1/ST3 lineage in pediatricFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Rediat TewoldeRespiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), London, UK. Rediat.Tewolde@ukhsa.gov.uk.
Joshua C D'AethRespiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), London, UK.
Rebecca ThombreRespiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), London, UK.
Michael L BeetonRespiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), London, UK.
Richard S RowlandsDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Microbiology and Infection Research Group, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK.
Samuel K SheppardDepartment of Biology, Ineos institute for Antimicrobial Research , University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Matthew D HitchingsInstitute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
Ben PascoeDepartment of Biology, Ineos institute for Antimicrobial Research , University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Victoria J ChalkerNHS England, London, UK.
Baharak AfsharRespiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit (RVPBRU), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacterium that causes upper and lower respiratory infections in children and adults. Epidemics occur over the winter period every few years with the most recent seen in 2023/24. These epidemics are thought to be due to the circulation of p1 type variants of M. pneumoniae which have cyclic epidemiology, with the peaks of infection driven by naïve individuals, mainly those < 5-years-old. Currently there is no routine monitoring or genomic surveillance to detect variants of M. pneumoniae circulating in the UK. We analysed 38 genomes of M. pneumoniae isolated in the UK between 2016 and 2024 for the detection of Macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae (MRMP) and typing of M. pneumoniae variants. Core-genome analysis was used to compare the M. pneumoniae UK data with the global genomic data of 290 M. pneumoniae strains from 14 countries.

resultsOf the 38 isolates from UK, the majority were obtained from male patients (62%), with the most common age range (38%) being the 0-15 years age group. All 38 UK isolates were identified as M. pneumoniae, of which 19 isolates (50%) were identified as p1-type 1 strains, and 19 isolates (50%) as p1-type 2. Of 38 isolates, six (16%) isolates were MRMP, of which four (67%) MRMP isolates were identified as sequence type (ST)3 from 2024 and the remaining two MRMP isolates from 2016 to 2024 were identified as ST14. Two core-genome phylogenetic trees; one based on strains from UK only (38 strains) and the other on a combined dataset of global and UK strains (328 strains), revealed two main clades corresponding to p1 types (p1-type 1 and p1-type 2 clades). Within these clades, strains were generally grouped into subclades according to their sequence type (ST), with a few exceptions observed in the global dataset. The phylogenetic tree for the 328 strains (290 global data and 38 UK data) showed 7 Subclades: Subclade 1 (ST3), Subclade 2 (mainly ST3/ST20), Subclade 3 (ST17), Subclade 4 (ST1), Subclade 5 (mainly ST14), Subclade 6 (mainly ST7/ST47) and Subclade 7 (ST2). ST3 strains were positioned in two Subclades (Subclade 1 and Subclade 2). 99% of the isolates in Subclade 1 (ST3) were MRMP. ST3 MRMP includes the most predominant strains in East Asia (Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China). Subclade 1 (ST3) was predominant in the strains isolated in 2024 from the UK that were included in this study out of which three ST3 MRMP strains were clustered in Subclade 1. Macrolide resistance was present in all Subclades except Subclade 7 (ST2).

conclusionsIt is imperative to continuously monitor Subclade 1 in the UK to better understand the burden of macrolide resistance and the potential spread and evolution of this strain within the population. Whole genome sequencing based genomic surveillance of M. pneumoniae is a vital tool for the detection of macrolide resistance, and the surveillance of circulating strains during outbreaks and seasonal epidemic surges.

Indexed as

Genome, BacterialGenomicsMycoplasma pneumoniaePneumonia, MycoplasmaAdolescentAdultAgedAnti-Bacterial AgentsChildChild, PreschoolDrug Resistance, BacterialFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMacrolidesAnti-Bacterial AgentsMacrolidesAntimicrobial resistance (AMR)Macrolide resistanceMycoplasma pneumoniaePopulation genomicsWhole genome sequencing (WGS)

Identifiers

PMID41062935
PMCPMC12505857

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.