Walking pneumonia on the rise in Michigan. What to know
- Cases of ‘walking pneumonia’ are on the rise in Michigan and nationwide
- The bacterial infection can cause symptoms like fever, headache and a slowly worsening cough
- Most people who get infected experience mild symptoms and may not realize they are sick
Cases of walking pneumonia are on the rise in Michigan and across the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The increase in cases started in the late spring, according to the CDC. The greatest increase in cases of the respiratory disease has been among children.
What is walking pneumonia?
Walking pneumonia is a mild respiratory illness caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It’s transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets.
The majority of people who become ill may experience mild symptoms and may not even know that they’re sick and may be able to carry on with normal activities, which is where the term “walking pneumonia” comes from.
The CDC sounded the alarm on walking pneumonia in October, warning that cases had increased, especially among young children. Tracking the extent of the spread is difficult, however, because health care providers aren’t required to report the condition to local health departments.
Related:
- COVID is up again in Michigan. Good luck finding more info (or free tests)
- Virus that causes 'slapped cheek’ disease in children on the rise, CDC warns
The CDC does keep track of what percentage of pneumonia-related emergency room visits result in a mycoplasma pneumoniae diagnosis. It was 2.8% as of early November, compared to 0.3% roughly a year earlier.
Cases were most prevalent in children: 7.6% of babies ages 1 and younger who visited emergency rooms with pneumonia-related symptoms were diagnosed with the infection, as were 7% of patients ages 2-4.
What are the common symptoms?
The infection can present as either a chest cold or pneumonia. Common symptoms include fever, headache and a slowly worsening cough, the CDC reports.
“Prolonged cough is one of the hallmarks,” said Dr. Teena Chopra, a professor of medicine and interim chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Wayne State University.
“Usually you can suspect it if there is a cough that's not getting better,” Chopra said. “Complications are very uncommon but they can occur. Patients can develop severe pneumonia, they can develop … encephalitis.”
Patients who are immunocompromised are more susceptible to developing severe symptoms.
How to treat and prevent infections
Walking pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics.
The CDC recommends that people practice hand hygiene, covering coughs and sneezes.
Other diseases to watch out for
Family gatherings can be an incubator for viruses especially because it is cold and flu season already.
“The three things that we always talk about this season are RSV, the flu and COVID and they are all spread through respiratory droplets,” she said. “We have to remember that we have vaccines for the virus. If people have not been vaccinated it is important that they do.”
Chopra also recommends that people who are concerned about getting sick, especially those who are immunocompromised consider wearing a mask to family gatherings in addition to practicing good hand hygiene.
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