Child Pneumonia Cases Surge in Europe and China

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections rise sharply, attributed to lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and antibiotic resistance concerns.

Child pneumonia cases have surged in Europe and China, with a sharp rise in Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections reported in Ireland, France, The Netherlands, and Denmark.
In China, the surge in 'walking pneumonia' cases has been attributed to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, which has magnified the surge in illness that normally accompanies the winter season.
The infection is spread through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of infected people and is more common among children than adults.
Most cases resolve without complications through a course of antibiotics, however, antibiotic resistance is a concern, particularly in Asia where resistance rates to macrolide, a type of antibiotic used to treat pneumonia, have been as high as 90 per cent.
Health authorities in Ohio’s Warren County recently reported an outbreak of 145 cases of childhood pneumonia beginning in August without any resulting in severe illness or death. In some of those cases, mycoplasma was detected, but the Ohio outbreak has not been linked to the one in China or any other ones abroad.