infection of the disease known as “Walking pneumonia” or “White lung pneumonia” Emergency room data suggests that infections are spreading at unusually high levels among young children, a year after hospitals overseas were filled with a surge in such cases.
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared with CBS News, children ages 2 to 4 have the worst incidence of the disease caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
“Since late spring, the number of infections caused by Mycobacterium pneumoniae has increased, particularly among young children,” the CDC said in a statement Friday.
By late September, nearly 7% of people in this age group who visited the emergency department with pneumonia had been diagnosed with the bacteria. A CDC spokesperson said this was a “slight decline” from a peak of more than 10% in August.
“The increase in children aged 2 to 4 years is notable because historically these infections have been thought to affect school-age children more than younger children,” the agency said.
The numbers come from the CDC’s National Syndrome Surveillance Program, which compiles numbers from emergency rooms. This is in line with the increase reported by testing company BioFire Diagnostics, which by its tally is more than 14 times higher than this time last year.
A CDC spokesperson said the worst levels are now in two areas in the central part of the country, from Texas to Iowa.
Several other states are also now warning doctors about a surge in Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Friday that doctors across the state have reported an increase in “unusual pneumonia cases” among children and adolescents.
Illinois health officials announced Thursday that they have tracked “several clusters reported in schools across the state” with increasing data from testing labs.
Some hospitals are also reporting a surge in pediatric pneumonia cases, which is thought to be caused by mycoplasma pneumonia, along with other bacteria such as rhinoviruses and enteroviruses. These bugs often cause colds, but they can also cause colds. more serious illness.
Trends in rhinoviruses and enteroviruses reported to the CDC have accelerated in recent weeks and are approaching the peaks seen during the previous fall wave.
“The situation is likely to get even worse as pollen and mold counts increase, the cold weather keeps everyone indoors, and people gather for the holidays,” Virginia-based health system VCU Health said last week. ” he said.
Not all hospitals saw an unusual increase. In Pennsylvania, the state health department recently warned of a high number of Mycoplasma pneumonia cases, but multiple health care organizations told CBS News they have not yet seen a spike.
Dr. Marian Michaels, professor of pediatrics and surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said it’s “too early to tell for sure” whether this year’s wave represents an unusual increase in hospitalizations.
Michaels was a co-author of a report released by the CDC earlier this year that found bacterial illnesses among children increased last year but remained lower than in previous years. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection).
“The numbers are probably creeping up, but are still below pre-pandemic levels for now,” Michaels said in an email.