Mycoplasma pneumoniaeInfection in Families

Abstract

IT is now well established that primary atypical pneumonia is caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, the agent originally isolated by Eaton and often referred to as the "Eaton agent."^{1 2 3 4 5} In the past few years M. pneumoniae has been isolated from hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients of various ages with disease of both the upper and the lower respiratory tract.^{6 , 7} Outbreaks of primary atypical pneumonia in families, schools and military training camps have been described by many investigators.^{8 9 10} Jordan's⁸ study of 25 families suggested that the family is an important epidemiologic unit in the spread of the agent responsible for the disease. . . .