There’s an uptick in the D.C. area in the number of pneumonia cases among children. Doctors at Children’s National Medical Center said the spike is being caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
“This is not a new bacteria. It’s a bacteria that commonly causes pneumonia, but we are seeing an increase in detection over the last few weeks. … This particular bacteria is what typically causes what we refer to as ‘walking pneumonia,'” said Dr. Craig Shapiro, an infectious diseases specialist at Children’s National Hospital.
The cases tend to be mild in otherwise healthy children, but more severe illness can occur in children with preexisting health conditions.
“It typically causes very mild disease … usually a few days of fever, cough, sometimes body aches and chills. But in children who have weakened immune systems or who have underlying diseases of the lungs, such as asthma, they can have more severe disease and definitely should seek medical attention if they’re having any of those symptoms,” said Shapiro.
He also says parents should also keep their kids home from school if they start to show these symptoms and reduce the spread of the pneumonia strain as much as possible.
“It’s important to remember to wash your hands. That’s going to be the best way to prevent any infection. Make sure that we’re covering our mouth and our nose when we cough and sneeze, and making sure that if your child is sick, you don’t want to send them to school,” Shapiro said. “Really, you should keep them home so that they’re not around other people.”
The rise in cases appears similar to an outbreak in China in 2023.
“There were reports out of China, a year ago, with an increase in the number of cases of this particular type of infection, and I think what we’re seeing is sort of mirroring what was occurring in China at that time,” he said.
The rise in cases comes before the start of respiratory illness season and it’s unclear if cases of walking pneumonia will multiply in the cold weather months ahead.
“We’re going to have to see how this all looks in a few months,” said Shapiro.
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