Walking Pneumonia Surge Hits US Capital

A surge in mild pneumonia cases among young children has been reported in the Washington, D.C. area, according to local health officials.

What is Walking Pneumonia

Walking pneumonia (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Walking Pneumonia

Go to source) is a milder form of pneumonia, often caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Symptoms include a persistent cough, fatigue, and mild fever. It¡¦s typically less severe than traditional pneumonia, allowing many to continue daily activities. Treatment often involves antibiotics and rest for recovery.

"Spread of the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae is fueling the increase in 'walking pneumonia,' a term health-care providers use to refer to an illness that is less severe than full-blown pneumonia, which may cause high fever and require patients to be hospitalised," reports Xinhua.

Nationally, emergency department visits with Mycoplasma-related diagnoses increased among children in the six-month period ending in early October, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although the infections historically affect school-age children, the CDC noted an increase of 1 percent to 7 percent in cases among 2-to-4-year-olds and a rise of 4 percent to 7 percent in illnesses of 5-to-17-year-olds. Diagnoses for those age groups peaked in August, data show.

Reference:

1. Walking Pneumonia - (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15744-pneumonia-atypical-walking-pneumonia)

Source-IANS