As the weather gets colder and sneezes and sniffles become more common, it’s important for parents to be aware of the potential health risks.
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that cases of walking pneumonia – also known as the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae, or M. pneumoniae, have been increasing in recent months.
“In 2023, M. pneumoniae began to re-emerge globally, after a prolonged period of low incidence of infections since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC explained. “So far in 2024, CDC has seen an increase in the percentage of pneumonia-associated emergency department visits with a discharge diagnosis of M. pneumoniae.”
What do the numbers say?
While there is no surveillance system devoted specifically to walking pneumonia, the CDC does regular check-ins with hospitals across the country. In this research, the agency learned that there has been a surge in cases of walking pneumonia among young children this year.
In looking at data of patients who were discharged from hospitals across the country from March 31 - October 5, 2024, the CDC learned that the percentage of kids being diagnosed with walking pneumonia are on the rise, as is the frequency with which they are testing positive for the infection.
For children between two and four years old, the percentage of children diagnosed with walking pneumonia increased from 1% to over 7% over the course of those seven months. Similarly, the percentage of children diagnosed with walking pneumonia between the ages of 5 and 17 increased from 3.6% to 7.4%.
Additionally, the percentage of positive tests for walking pneumonia has increased from 0.7% to 3.3% for all children between the ages of two and 17.
“The increase in children ages two to four years is notable because M. pneumoniae historically hasn't been recognized as a leading cause of pneumonia in this age group,” the CDC explained.
What should parents know?
The symptoms of walking pneumonia present much in the same way as many other respiratory illnesses. Children are likely to develop a fever, cough, and sore throat. However, it is a lung infection that can cause further health complications.
The infection is spread through respiratory droplets, so anytime a person with the infection coughs or sneezes and a healthy person breathes that in, they’re increasing their risk of developing walking pneumonia.
It’s also important to note that some symptoms – like the cough – can linger long after a person is contagious. Additionally, the M. pneumoniae bacteria can remain in the respiratory tract for months, making it hard to kick completely.
Many patients infected with M. pneumoniae will start feeling better with just over the counter medications. However, many health care providers may also prescribe a class of antibiotics known as macrolides to treat this specific bacteria.
The CDC recommends that consumers practice proper hygiene habits, like hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes – especially when around other people.