Doctors say they are seeing an increase in cases of walking pneumonia in some parts of Canada, particularly among children, at a time when respiratory viruses are commonly circulating.
Walking pneumonia is a mild form of pneumonia that often presents with fever, cough, or fatigue, but a small subset of severe cases can leave patients short of breath or with a high fever.
Dr. Earl Rubin, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, says he has noticed more cases in toddlers, who are younger than the typical school-age population, and young adults affected usually by bacterial infection.
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Although public health agencies do not monitor walking pneumonia, health care providers in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia say they are seeing more cases.
Dr. Camille Lemieux, head of family medicine at University Health Network in Toronto, says doctors need to be aware of this increase – the first she has seen in her 30 years of practice – because it requires an antibiotic different from that of ordinary pneumonia, and patients will not benefit from it. It doesn’t get any better without it.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in October an increase in walking pneumonia in the United States, particularly among young children, over the past six months, peaking in late August.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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