What You Need to Know About Walking Pneumonia

Although seasonal diseases cold It’s just starting to gain traction, right now there’s a respiratory disease that’s making tons of people sick in the United States: walking pneumonia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a warning Last month I was warning people about an increase in cases of walking pneumonia. Infection caused by bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniaIt damages the lining of the respiratory tract, including the throat, windpipe, and lungs. Symptoms such as cough and wheezing are often milder than other lung infections, so people tend to stay home in bed, hence the nickname walking pneumonia.

“The biggest takeaway is that mycoplasma “Infections are usually mild and clear up without antibiotics,” he said. Zachary HoyHe’s a board-certified pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group in Nashville.

Here’s what’s happening in the explosion of walking pneumonia cases:

Hoy has seen an increase in walking pneumonia cases at his practice in Tennessee. Their patients, most of whom are children aged 5 and above, come with complaints of general weakness, long-term cough, congestion and sometimes low-grade fever.

Infections are usually mild but symptoms last for weeks. “Often these symptoms have persisted for several days without changing or improving,” he said.

Dr. Allen J. DozorThe pediatric pulmonologist at New York Medical College said he treats patients with walking pneumonia every year, but the cases started earlier than usual this season.

He first noticed increased activity in August and continues to see patients every week. “We see a surge every fall, and this year is no exception, but our fall surge started early. “Two weeks after school started, my phone rings.”

Although walking pneumonia occurs most often in young children and adolescents ages 5 to 17, the disease can affect people of all ages. Since late spring, the positive test rate has increased from 0.7% to 3.3% for all age groups. CDC.

“Although we are seeing an increase in infections mycoplasma pneumoniaThe majority of infections are mild,” said Dr. Wassim M. BallanHe’s the division chief of infectious diseases at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The CDC suspects the increased prevalence is a direct result of the immune deficit that has emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, protective measures such as face masks and social distancing have slowed the spread of many infectious diseases, including walking pneumonia. But “once masking mandates were lifted and we returned to pre-pandemic practices, we began to see an increase in respiratory pathogens that were virtually non-existent during the first part of the pandemic,” Ballan said.

In 2023, walking pneumonia reemerged, triggering a wave of infections worldwide. According to HKM.

At the same time, our testing methods have improved over the past few years, allowing doctors to catch more cases.

“There are better ways to diagnose pneumoniae “Infections with new diagnostic PCR swabs that will be able to identify cases in 2024 that could not be detected in tests before 2020,” Hoy said.

There may be other factors involved. For example, Dozor said: climate change is associated with an increase in respiratory infections and air pollution makes children more susceptible to respiratory problems such as pneumonia.

The bacteria spread through respiratory droplets expelled into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. If others inhale these droplets, they may become infected.

Accordingly CDCPeople who spend small amounts of time around someone with walking pneumonia usually do not become infected. But if you live or work with someone who is sick, you are more likely to get the disease.

It can take one to four weeks for the bacteria to incubate in your body. So “you may be exposed to one mycoplasma and don’t get sick for up to four weeks,” Hoy said.

best way avoid getting sick? Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer. Doz said high-quality face masks definitely work. However, this type of pneumonia is highly contagious, so unfortunately no method is 100% effective.

Most patients with walking pneumonia have mild symptoms and recover without antibiotics.

“Symptoms usually worsen for a few days, improve for a few days, and resolve within a few days,” Dozor said. He added that as a general rule, the cough should end within two weeks.

If your symptoms persist or worsen, contact a healthcare professional. They may perform tests and prescribe an antibiotic such as azithromycin to speed your recovery. This is especially helpful for people with weakened immune systems or underlying lung conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis or COPD, because these people are at higher risk of developing more serious illnesses, Dozor said.

Finally, you’ll want to cover your cough and sneeze with your arm to prevent spreading bacteria to others. Isolating at home, at least during the first few days of your infection when you are most contagious, may also reduce transmission.

“The best way to slow the spread, reduce the spread, and protect vulnerable children and adults is to keep them at home, even if they have a fever or are coughing or sneezing significantly,” Dozor said.