NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The CDC is alerting parents and pediatricians to a recent rise in walking pneumonia cases among preschool aged children.
“What’s a little bit different this time is we are seeing it in younger children more than we have in the past,” said CHKD Medical Group medical director Dr. Douglas Mitchell said.
Most often, this respiratory illness is seen in older children. However, the CDC reports the percentage of children ages two-to-four diagnosed with respiratory infections caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae grew from 1% to 7.2% between March 31 and Oct. 5.
“I’ve seen it myself in a handful of patients in the last month or so,” Mitchell said. “I’m seeing it in the summaries of my patients that have been seen in the urgent cares and the emergency rooms.”
Symptoms are usually mild and resemble those of a chest cold. They can include slight fever, cough and a sore throat. The bacteria can however damage the lining of the throat, windpipe, and lungs.
Douglas said hospitalization from the illness is not common, but does happen.