December 1st 2023.
A surge in pneumonia cases has been reported in at least two US states this fall. The Warren County Health District in Ohio recorded an 'extremely high number of pediatric pneumonia cases' since August, with 142 cases recorded - above the average for the county.
The average age of the children affected was around 8 years old, and symptoms included cough, fatigue and fever. The health district has stated that they do not believe this is a novel or new respiratory disease, but rather a large uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time.
Some of the cases in Ohio were identified as mycoplasma pneumonia, which is the same illness that has been causing a spike in sickness among children in northern China and Denmark. The World Health Organization has requested additional epidemiologic and clinical information from China, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been communicating with its counterpart in the country to better understand the situation.
Meanwhile, cases of walking pneumonia have been reported in Eastern Massachusetts. This is a mild lung condition that can develop from a respiratory virus called RSV, and Dr John Kelley of Redwood Pediatrics in East Longmeadow told Western Mass News that this is the season for RSV. He said that they are seeing a lot of kids with upper viral respiratory infections, such as cough, runny nose, and some fevers, and that it can cause lower viral respiratory infections which can spread to the lungs.
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