Though seasonal illnesses like the flu are just starting to gain some traction, there’s one respiratory disease that’s sickening tons of people across the United States right now: walking pneumonia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an alert last month warning people about the uptick in walking pneumonia cases. The infection, which is caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae , damages the lining of the respiratory tract, including the throat, windpipe and lungs.
The symptoms, including coughing and wheezing, are typically milder than other lung infections, so people tend to not stay home in bed, hence the nickname walking pneumonia. “The biggest takeaway is that Mycoplasma infections are generally mild and improve without antibiotics,” said Dr. Zachary Hoy , a board-certified pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group in Nashville.
Here’s what’s going on with the explosion of walking pneumonia cases: Doctors are seeing more cases right now, which started earlier than in previous years. Hoy has seen an increase of walking pneumonia cases at his practice in Tennessee. His patients — most of whom are kids 5 and older — have come in with general malaise along with a lingering cough, congestion and, occasionally, a low-grade fever.
The infections are typically mild, but their symptoms last for weeks. “Usually these symptoms have been going on for several days without change or improvement,” he said. Dr.
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