Mycoplasma pneumonia, often referred to as ‘a-typical pneumonia’ is landing more children in Triangle-area hospitals for treatment.
It’s the same kind of bacteria that causes walking pneumonia.
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Dr. Zachary Willis, UNC Children’s pediatric infectious disease specialist, explained the case volume the area is currently seeing is “a bit unusual.”
“Commonly, we would see it in older children and teenagers but recently we’re seeing it more in younger children which is something of a surprise,” Willis said. “Children as young as 2 years old we’re seeing with us.”
Willis explained that most who get sick with this type of pneumonia can recover on their own.
“There is no vaccine for this specific type of infection but there are antibiotics that are effective,” Willis said.
UNC Hospitals reports 40 positive cases of mycoplasma pneumonia were reported during the last week of October 2024. During that same period last year, zero cases were detected.
“Fall is when it most commonly comes around, however we have not seen this much mycoplasma, at least since before the pandemic,” Willis said. “We’ve seen these sorts of unusual spikes of different types of respiratory viruses and bacteria over the past few years and this is another one of those.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert in October over the concerning trend of rising infections in kids.
DHHS has reported an increase in the number of pediatric pneumonia cases seen in emergency departments statewide. The highest case counts are being seen in the Triangle, Charlotte and Triad areas.
Willis shared an infection could happen to any child but those with underlying conditions, such as asthma, may be at a heightened risk.
“People who have it may think they have a viral pneumonia or a bronchitis type of infection. It can cause fever, cough and sore throat; very common types of symptoms,” Willis said.
The doctor shared a fever or cough that persists longer than would be expected can be a good indication someone has pneumonia.
Common signs of pneumonia in children include: -fever -cough -breathing faster -breathing deeper -making wheezing or grunting sounds -chest or belly pain -vomiting -chills Willis encourages parents to stay vigilant when noticing signs of illness within the household.
“If you’re sick, stay home from work. If your children are sick, keep them home from school for a few days so that we’re not spreading bacteria and viruses around,” he cautioned.
Willis also advised parents make appointments to keep themselves and their children up to date on COVID, flu and RSV vaccinations heading into colder months.
“We do have vaccines for a lot of these things and we can prevent a lot of illnesses, prevent a lot of missed work, prevent a lot of missed school, and prevent a lot of trips to the emergency department and to the hospital as well,” Willis said.
Pneumonia is often diagnosed by listening to a patient’s breathing patterns. A chest X-ray may also be ordered in some cases.