Health
Walking Pneumonia Cases Among Children On the Rise in Canada
According to medical professionals, there has been an unusual rise in the number of severe and complex cases of walking pneumonia that are afflicting patients who are significantly younger in hospitals throughout Canada.
The division director of pediatric infectious diseases stated that the disease is prevalent in children and typically manifests as a benign form of pneumonia. However, a greater number of children are developing a severe form of the disease.
According to physicians, mycoplasma pneumonia is prevalent among school-aged children. It is informally referred to as walking pneumonia.
They also noted that individuals who exhibit more severe symptoms, such as respiratory difficulties, may necessitate treatment for the contagious pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria.
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist, stated that Canada is likely experiencing the same trends as the United States, with infections being most prevalent in the autumn.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) does not monitor this specific disease; however, it does monitor other respiratory illnesses in Canada and reports the trends in the Respiratory Virus Detection Surveillance System Report, the FluWatch+ Surveillance Program, and the COVID-19 epidemiology update.
Rubin stated that conducting experiments is challenging. His discussions with his colleagues have provided him with anecdotal information regarding the observed trends. Doctors have reported a backlog in tests and delays in receiving results due to increased cases.
Health specialists have indicated that patients may undergo various diagnostic procedures, including blood tests, nose swabs, throat swabs, physical examinations, measurement of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood, and chest X-rays.
Specialized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are more frequently accessible to patients in the hospital.
Walking Pneumonia Cases in British Columbia
According to data provided by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and B.C. Children’s Hospital, the number of walking pneumonia infections in B.C. is higher than in previous years, with the highest incidence among individuals under 20.
They referenced BCCDC’s Public Health Laboratory data, the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network, and B.C. Children’s Hospital.
Walking Pneumonia Cases from other regions of Canada
A prominent women’s and children’s hospital in Halifax has also reported an increase in the number of cases of walking pneumonia. It increased from 11 last year to 113 as of September.
Dr. Karen Gripp, the emergency department’s medical director at HSC Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, has reported that the number of pediatric patients in the emergency department with pneumonia this autumn has increased by a “significant amount.” However, the specific type of pneumonia is still uncertain.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority emergency departments, including Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, have not yet reported any reports that suggest the illness is pervasive.
