The ESCMID Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC) gathers physicians, veterinarians, microbiologists, and scientists. Together, they are dedicated to improving the understanding of clinical presentation and epidemiology (including antimicrobial resistance) of Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and Chlamydiales infections in both humans and animals. Their collaborative mission aims to:
ESGMAC Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study
Background
The aim of the ESGMAC MAPS study was to prospectively collect M. pneumoniae detection data from around the world following the COVID-19 pandemic and, where possible, to retain isolates and/or DNA from local sites for future typing to monitor and characterise the re-emergence of M. pneumoniae from a global perspective.
The ESGMAC MAPS study was able to observe the beginning of the re-emergence of M. pneumoniae infections in the second half of 2023 right before the global occurrence of pneumonia outbreaks and timely alert clinicians via monthly website updates. This allowed a prompt response with adequate management.
News
Our new publication reports the global spatiotemporal dynamics of the substantial M. pneumoniae re-emergence in late 2023 with data from 29 countries. To our knowledge, this study represents the largest combined dataset for M. pneumoniae detections. Additionally, this work provides detail of patient outcomes for several sites, information on macrolide resistance across the globe, and answers to why a substantial delay was seen in the re-emergence of M. pneumoniae compared with the re-emergence of other respiratory pathogens.
Our newest work demonstrated the prominent global pattern of M. pneumoniae re-emergence, where detection numbers and rates continued to increase in most participating countries during the second year of the re-emergence:
Ongoing projects
ESGMAC MAPS study update:
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: from surge to silence (2024–2025)
In progress
ESGMAC MAPS subtyping study (ESCMID Study Group Collaboration Grant: ESGMAC, ESGEM, ESGMD):
Developing a novel method for assessing global genetic diversity and molecular surveillance of M. pneumoniae during its re-emergence after the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
In progress
Contact information
If you are interested in contributing to this ongoing surveillance project, or would like to find out more, please contact either Patrick Meyer Sauteur (Patrick.MeyerSauteur[at]kispi.uzh.ch) or Mike Beeton (mbeeton[at]cardiffmet.ac.uk).
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed data so far and we are grateful for the on-going collaborations on this project.
Previous publications by the ESGMAC MAPS study
Meyer Sauteur PM, The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC) Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study group. Mycoplasma pneumoniae: re-emergence and beyond. The Lancet Microbe, Volume 6, Issue 11, 2025.
Meyer Sauteur PM, Chalker VJ, Berger C, Nir-Paz R, Beeton ML; ESGMAC and the ESGMAC–MyCOVID study group. Mycoplasma pneumoniae beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: where is it? Lancet Microbe. 2022 Dec;3(12):e897
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML; ESGMAC the ESGMAC MAPS study group. Mycoplasma pneumoniae: gone forever? Lancet Microbe. 2023 Oct;4(10):e763
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML; European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC), and the ESGMAC Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study group. Mycoplasma pneumoniae: delayed re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Lancet Microbe. 2024 Feb;5(2):e100-e101.
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML; European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC), and the ESGMAC Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study group. Pneumonia outbreaks due to re-emergence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Lancet Microbe. 2024 Jun;5(6):e514.
ESGMAC MAPS study group. Global spatiotemporal dynamics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: an epidemiological and transmission modelling study. Lancet Microbe. 2025 Feb 27:101019
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML, Uldum SA, Bossuyt N, Vermeulen M, Loens K, Pereyre S, Bébéar C, Keše D, Day J, Afshar B, Chalker VJ, Greub G, Nir-Paz R, Dumke R; ESGMAC–MyCOVID Study Team. Mycoplasma pneumoniae detections before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a global survey, 2017 to 2021. Euro Surveill. 2022 May;27(19):2100746
A multilocus sequence typing scheme for the emerging respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma amphoriforme.
Simpson L, Macleod J, Rowlands RS, Spiller OB, Dixon C, Jensen JS, Afshar B, Seth-Smith HMB, Chalker VJ, Beeton ML, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2025 Jun 2;78(6):ovaf073
JMM Profile: Mycoplasma genitalium: a small, yet significant pathogen.
Rudman T, Rowlands RS, Jensen JS, Beeton ML, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. J Med Microbiol. 2025 Apr;74(4):001984
Parachlamydia acanthamoebae: disease-causing pathogen or opportunistic bystander?
Adams SE, Kebbi-Beghdadi C, Puolakkainen M, Greub G, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. J Med Microbiol. 2025 Mar;74(3):001953
From coughs to complications: the story of Chlamydia pneumoniae.
Tagini F, Puolakkainen M, Greub G, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. J Med Microbiol. 2025 Apr;74(4):002006
Chlamydia trachomatis genomes from rectal samples: description of a new clade comprising ompA-genotype L4 from Argentina.
üttner KA, Wegner F, Bregy V, Entrocassi AC, Gallo Vaulet ML, López Aquino D, La Rosa L, Svidler López L, Puolakkainen MH, Hiltunen-Back E, Imkamp F, Egli A, Seth-Smith HMB, Rodríguez Fermepin M, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. Microb Genom. 2025 Feb;11(2):001350
Evaluating methods for genome sequencing of Chlamydia trachomatis and other sexually transmitted bacteria directly from clinical swabs.
Büttner KA, Bregy V, Wegner F, Purushothaman S, Imkamp F, Roloff Handschin T, Puolakkainen MH, Hiltunen-Back E, Braun D, Kisakesen I, Schreiber A, Entrocassi AC, Gallo Vaulet ML, López Aquino D, Svidler López L, La Rosa L, Egli A, Rodríguez Fermepin M, Seth-Smith HM, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. Microb Genom. 2025 Feb;11(2):001353
Global spatiotemporal dynamics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: an epidemiological and transmission modelling study.
ESGMAC MAPS study group. Lancet Microbe. 2025 Apr;6(4):101019
Epidemiological changes in Chlamydia pneumoniae molecular detections before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in 27 European sites and Taiwan, 2018 to 2023.
Tagini F, Uldum SA, Berengua C, Ivan B, Capaul R, Edouard S, Fischer A, Flipse J, García Martínez de Artola D, Goldenberger D, Heddema E, Hermans M, Imkamp F, Keše D, Lejarraga C, Lienhard R, Maffioli C, Matheeussen V, Meyer Sauteur PM, Mitrovic I, Opota O, Orasch C, Drevinek P, Peuchant O, Po-Yu L, Puolakkainen M, Remy M, Thai KT, Wohlwend N, Greub G; ESCMID Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia infections (ESGMAC). Euro Surveill. 2025 Jun;30(23):2400682
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: re-emergence and beyond.
Meyer Sauteur PM, The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC) Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study group. The Lancet Microbe, Volume 6, Issue 11, 2025.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: where is it?
Meyer Sauteur PM, Chalker VJ, Berger C, Nir-Paz R, Beeton ML; ESGMAC and the ESGMAC–MyCOVID study group. Lancet Microbe. 2022 Dec;3(12):e897
Global spatiotemporal dynamics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: an epidemiological and transmission modelling study.
ESGMAC MAPS study group. Lancet Microbe. 2025 Feb 27:101019
Mycoplasma pneumoniae detections before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a global survey, 2017 to 2021.
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML, Uldum SA, Bossuyt N, Vermeulen M, Loens K, Pereyre S, Bébéar C, Keše D, Day J, Afshar B, Chalker VJ, Greub G, Nir-Paz R, Dumke R; ESGMAC–MyCOVID Study Team. Euro Surveill. 2022 May;27(19):2100746
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: not a typical respiratory pathogen.
Rowlands RS, Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML, On Behalf Of The Escmid Study Group For Mycoplasma And Chlamydia Infections Esgmac. J Med Microbiol. 2024 Oct;73(10):001910
Pneumonia outbreaks due to re-emergence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML; European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC), and the ESGMAC Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study group. Lancet Microbe. 2024 Jun;5(6):e514
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: delayed re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML for the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Infections (ESGMAC), and the ESGMAC Mycoplasma pneumoniae Surveillance (MAPS) study group. Lancet Microbe. 2024;5(2):e100–e101.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: gone forever?
Meyer Sauteur PM, Beeton ML for the ESGMAC the ESGMAC MAPS study group. Lancet Microbe. 2023;4(10):e763.
Latest research news on Mycoplasma genitalium and Chlamydiae
8 October 2025, 15:00 CET
Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae: atypical pneumonia and extrapulmonary infection
11 June 2025, 11:30 - 13:30 CET
Early Career Mycoplasma and Chlamydia Researcher Conference 2025 (ECMCR 2025) organised by ESGMAC
19 February 2025, 13:00 - 16:30 CET
Update on diagnostics for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia infections
15 January 2025, 16:00 CET
Debate - Screening for chlamydia in asymptomatic people is not a sound public health strategy
12 June 2024
If you have questions or comments for our study group, we warmly invite you to contact us!
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