United States: A surge in cases of “walking pneumonia,” also known as “white lung pneumonia,” has surfaced, particularly affecting younger children, according to emerging data from emergency rooms. This unsettling trend mirrors the spike in cases witnessed in international hospitals last year.
The most impacted demographic is children aged 2 to 4, as revealed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics shared with CBS News. The primary culprit of this outbreak is the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, according to CBS News.
“Since late spring, we have observed a steady uptick in Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, particularly among younger children,” the CDC reported last Friday.
As of late September, approximately 7 percent of emergency room visits for pneumonia in this age group were linked to M. pneumoniae. Although this represents a slight drop from a peak of over 10 percent in August, the trend remains concerning.
The agency highlighted, “The rise in infections among children aged 2 to 4 is particularly notable since, historically, school-aged children were more frequently affected by this pathogen,” as per CBS News.
The CDC’s National Syndromic Surveillance Program, which aggregates data from emergency rooms, confirms these findings. Similarly, BioFire Diagnostics, a prominent testing company, has reported that current case numbers are now more than 14 times higher than last year’s figures.
The highest infection rates are concentrated in the central US, stretching from Texas to Iowa, according to a CDC spokesperson. Several other states have also raised alarms, urging healthcare providers to remain vigilant in the face of growing Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases.
In Wisconsin, the state’s health department reported an unusual rise in pneumonia cases among children and young adults, prompting statewide concern. Meanwhile, Illinois health officials have identified several pneumonia clusters in schools, which testing data attributes to M. pneumoniae.
The situation has grown even more complex as several hospitals report a surge in pediatric pneumonia, driven not only by Mycoplasma pneumoniae but also by co-infections with viruses like rhinovirus and enterovirus, both of which typically cause colds but can lead to severe complications.
Recent data shows a swift escalation of rhinovirus and enterovirus cases, nearing levels seen in previous autumnal spikes. According to the VCU Health System in Virginia, these numbers are expected to climb further as cooler weather, rising pollen, and mold levels, along with the holiday season, bring people indoors and in close contact, according to CBS News.
While some regions, like Pennsylvania, have yet to experience a dramatic rise in cases, health officials are on high alert. Dr Marian Michaels, a professor of pediatrics and surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, remains cautiously optimistic, noting that it’s “too early to definitively state if this year’s surge will overwhelm hospitals.”
Dr Michaels co-authored a CDC report earlier this year, indicating that while pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases rose in 2023, they still remain below pre-pandemic levels for now. “The numbers may be ticking upward, but they have yet to reach the levels we saw before COVID-19,” she shared via email.