Walking pneumonia is what it looks like, a form of pneumonia it seems so warm that people with the bacterial disease are often up and down and unwittingly spread the germs. As the disease continues to circulate nationwide this fall, it’s important to be aware of its subtle symptoms.
a bacterium called Mycoplasma pneumoniae It causes two types of respiratory infections: the most common chest cold, tracheobronchitis, and the less common lung infection, walking pneumonia. Although we are in good shape respiratory disease seasonthe bacterium can spread throughout the year. This year infections peaked in late spring and have remained high Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) he said in mid-October, a proportion of emergency department patients discharged with a diagnosis M. pneumoniae-associated pneumonia or acute bronchitis peak in August.
Such infections are usually among children and older teenagers, but in 2024 they were common among young children. The CDC reported the following increased emergency department visits for pedestrian pneumoniaAs a proportion of pneumonia-related visits, for the week ending March 31 to October 5:
- Children aged 2-4 years: From 1% to 7.2%
- 5-17 years old: from 3.6% to 7.4%
- All ages: 0.5%-2.1%
It is generally caused by changes in bacterial strains M. pneumoniae infections will peak every three to seven years, according to the CDC. The The Covid-19 pandemichowever, he interrupted that pattern. After years of low incidence, such bacterial infections re-emerged worldwide in 2023.
Pneumonia, which can be bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic, comes in many forms. Pneumonia of the foot is considered atypical, according to Dr. Camille Sabellapediatric infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic for Children.
“Walking pneumonia can be different things. It’s usually not your run-of-the-mill bacterial pneumonia,” Sabella said on Oct. 28 news release about the increase in cases. “Foot pneumonia is usually caused by something called mycoplasma pneumonia, but it can also be very similar to viral pneumonia.”
How does walking pneumonia spread?
M. pneumoniae it is spread through respiratory droplets, so covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze goes a long way in preventing others from getting sick. And since there is no vaccine for walking pneumonia, practicing good hygiene, including hand washing, is the best way to prevent the disease, the CDC says.
Outbreaks of walking pneumonia they usually occur in the following crowded places:
- University residences
- Detention or correctional facilities
- Hospitals
- Long-term care settings
- Military training facilities
- the schools
Despite the disease’s prevalence among children, anyone can get walking pneumonia, especially those with weakened immune systems or pre-existing lung disease such as asthma, or those recovering from a respiratory illness.
Abella recommends it for young children pneumococcal pneumonia vaccinewhich protects against a bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniaealthough it does not prevent walking pneumonia.
“Every child should be vaccinated against this,” Sabella said. “We start vaccinating against that early on, and that works really well. But because there are so many different strains of pneumococcal bacteria, we can’t protect against all strains with the vaccine currently available.”
What are the symptoms of walking pneumonia?
M. pneumoniae it can damage the lining of the lungs, throat and trachea. Once exposed, symptoms may appear within one to four weeks and last for several weeks. Or, you may be asymptomatic. If you do show symptoms, the CDC says they can vary depending on whether the bacteria is giving you a chest cold or pneumonia:
- Cold chest
- Children under 5 years old
- diarrhea
- to sneeze
- Sore throat
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Vomiting
- Watery eyes
- whistling
- People over 5 years old
- Feeling tired
- fever
- Headache
- Cough slowly getting worse
- Sore throat
- Children under 5 years old
- Pneumonia
- cough
- Feeling tired
- Fever and chills
- shortness of breath
It doesn’t matter the type M. pneumoniae infection, seek emergency medical attention if you or a child in your care have difficulty breathing, or if symptoms persist or worsen.
How do you treat walking pneumonia?
Most health care providers do not test M. pneumoniae infection, according to the CDC, but can be done through blood samples or, more commonly, through a nose or throat swab. Depending on your symptoms, they may also order a chest X-ray.
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines can help relieve your symptoms, but they do not treat the infection. Your doctor may prescribe a special type of antibiotic medication called a macrolidelike some common antibiotics for example, penicillin will not treat pneumonia.
For more information on respiratory diseases:
Subscribe to Well Adjusted, our newsletter full of easy strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team. Sign up free today
