Serological evaluation of the prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii infection in children with respiratory tract infections in Poland.

: In the years 1998-2008 there were examined for pneumocystosis serum samples collected from 5223 children with respiratory tract infections, aged up to 10 years. The examinations were carried out for the presence of specific IgG and IgM antibodies with an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Specific anti-Pneumocystis antibodies were detected in 68,7% of the examined children, including 68,49% with IgG and 2.85% with IgM antibodies. The highest percentages of IgM and IgG positive samples were encountered, respectively, in children aged up to 6 months (4,17%) and in those in the second half of the first year of life (73%). The results of the examinations indicated that in Poland the prevalence of pneumocystosis in children with symptoms of respiratory tract infection is similar to that described by foreign authors for healthy, immunocompetent children.