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Protect your children from walking pneumonia amid rising cases in the U.S.

By Kristina D'Amours,

2 days ago

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The CDC has issued an alert that an atypical form of pneumonia is spreading across the U.S. and infecting children.

22News spoke with a doctor from Cooley Dickinson Hospital about what parents need to know.

“Regular pneumonia mainly impacts people over the age of 40. But the atypical can be seen in people under the age of 40, predominately in school-aged children,” Dr. Sundeep Shukla explained.

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, which can cause what is known as “walking pneumonia,” is infecting more people right now, especially children across the country. The infection is a bacteria that spreads from coughing or sneezing causing respiratory tract infections.

And while it can cause a generally mild form of pneumonia the CDC reports that it could also cause serious complications.

“So there is no available vaccine for this. A lot of this is just good hand hygiene,” says Dr. Shukla. He recommends, “Droplet spread prevention… so coughing into your sleeve. These symptoms can last one to four weeks.”

The symptoms can appear as a chest cold with a fever and sore throat or a mild lung infection with shortness of breath. Children younger than five can experience wheezing, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Dr. Shukla adds, “A parent’s intuition is very important. If you feel like your child is having a tough time breathing, they are not really eating much or drinking much, their fever is not being controlled by Tylenol or Ibuprofen…. then that’s a good time to call you primary care doctor or a health care professional.”

Health experts strongly advise parents to seek medical help right away if a child has difficulty breathing.

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