There has been an unusual increase in respiratory infections — including the serious illness known as walking pneumonia or white lung pneumonia — which is spreading at higher levels among young children, according to emergency room data across the United States. This infection is caused by bacteria mycoplasma pneumonia In children as young as two years old, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Since late spring, the number of infections has increased M. pneumoniae This is increasing, especially in young children, the CDC said in a statement.

The bacteria were diagnosed in more than 7 percent of people who came to the emergency room with pneumonia in the 2-4 year old age group in the past month. The CDC said it has declined “slightly” from a peak of more than 10 percent in August.

“The increase in children ages 2-4 is notable because these infections have historically been thought to affect school-age children more than younger children,” the agency said.

Testing enables high-numbers

The CDC says data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program — which collects numbers from emergency rooms — echoes the increase reported by testing company BioFire Diagnostics — which says trends show the numbers are now about the same as last year. 14 times more in comparison.

The CDC says the states of Texas and Iowa currently have the worst levels of infection. Moreover, other states have also now started taking steps to contain the surge mycoplasma pneumonia,

Many have also reported an increase in children suffering from pneumonia – a lung infection that causes the air sacs to fill with fluid or pus, making breathing difficult. Additionally, the trends of rhinovirus and enterovirus have been reported to accelerate in recent weeks.

The situation is likely to worsen in the coming days

According to experts, the situation is likely to worsen as pollen and mold counts are increasing, and the weather is getting colder – keeping more children staying indoors.

What is walking pneumonia?,

Doctors say walking pneumonia is a mild form of the disease — a lung infection that causes your airways to swell, the air sacs in your lungs to fill with mucus and other fluids, a high fever, and There is a cough with mucus. If you have ambulatory pneumonia, you may feel well enough to move around and do daily tasks without knowing you have pneumonia.

“Walking pneumonia” is the general term for atypical pneumonia. It usually affects people who are younger or have weakened immune systems.

Signs and symptoms of walking pneumonia

Although it mostly sounds like the common flu, some of the typical signs and symptoms of walking pneumonia include:

• sore throat
• extreme tiredness or fatigue
• chest pain or discomfort
• low grade fever
• feeling cold
• persistent cough
• sneezing
• persistent headache

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