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Area hospitals are seeing an increase in the number of children with walking pneumonia coming through their doors; This is an early shift as the respiratory virus season begins. Here’s what you need to know.

What is walking pneumonia?

Walking pneumonia or mycoplasma pneumonia is a mild lung infection. The name is a reference to the fact that people with this type of pneumonia are usually not as sick as others and are not hospitalized or at home.

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St. In children, the condition causes the patient to feel generally unwell, with headaches, fever and sore throat, which most parents would dismiss as a cold, said Erica Van Daalen, chief of staff at Thomas Elgin General Hospital.

After several days without any improvement, parents sought medical care for their children, he said.

This condition is treated with a class of antibiotics that are readily available, Van Daalen said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced last month that walking pneumonia infections have been on the rise in recent months, especially among young children.

Situation in the London area

Rod Lim, medical director of the pediatric emergency department, said London Health Sciences Center Children’s Hospital has seen more children presenting with pneumonia in the past two to three weeks.

“We’re definitely seeing a high rate of walking pneumonia. We’re seeing a very high rate of positivity right now, especially when we take X-rays,” Lim said, adding that the disease tends to come in cycles.

“Mycoplasma pneumoniae, the cause of walking pneumonia, is something we see about every three years. “It tends to flare up from time to time, but we’re dealing with a pretty large amount right now.”

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Van Daalen, St. Thomas said there has been a “surge” in the number of people coming to Elgin General Hospital’s emergency room with pneumonia; this is a common occurrence this time of year.

“Children presenting with a prolonged cough, intermittent fever, or no improvement from previous antibiotic trials are typical of this season,” he said, adding that these young patients “seem well, perhaps even participating in school or community events.”

The local cases of walking pneumonia come just ahead of the expected start of the respiratory virus season surge, which is still weeks away, Lim said.

Prevention and treatment of walking pneumonia

Van Daalen urges parents not to send their children out into the community if they have a fever or a new cough. He said proper hand hygiene is also essential to prevent diseases.

With the knowledge that walking pneumonia is common in the community, Lim said parents who are concerned about their child’s persistent respiratory symptoms should seek help from their primary care provider sooner:

“It is contagious and tends to spread within households,” he said, adding that sick people should stay home and stay away from vulnerable populations such as the elderly and people with complex medical conditions.

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St. Asmaa Hussain, chief of Pediatrics at Thomas Elgin General Hospital, said it is often difficult to distinguish typical pneumonia from atypical walking pneumonia.

“If a child is seen and diagnosed with pneumonia and does not respond well to the antibiotic given after a few days, it is important to re-evaluate as the antibiotic may not be the appropriate antibiotic for the type of bacteria they have,” Hussain said. in an email on Wednesday.

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