Walking Pneumonia Increasing In New York, Symptoms To Watch

The CDC has issued an alert about a sharp increase in walking pneumonia.

Respiratory infections caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae have increased in the United States, according to the CDC.

Walking Pneumonia On The Rise

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"The proportion of patients discharged from emergency departments with a diagnosis of M. pneumoniae-associated pneumonia or acute bronchitis has been increasing over the past six months, peaking in late August," the CDC states.

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Young children are seeing a large increase in recent weeks, officials say.

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Walking pneumonia can occur at any age, but are most common among children ages 5–17 years and young adults, the CDC reports.

"Most people with a mild M. pneumoniae infection will recover on their own without medicine. Over-the-counter medicines can help you feel better while you're recovering," the CDC states in its alert.

Symptoms To Watch For

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Symptoms to watch for include:

fever
headache
slowly worsening cough
fatigue

Symptoms are typically mild, but people with asthma or reactive airway disease are at a higher risk of "severe disease," according to the CDC.

Younger children may have different symptoms like, diarrhea, wheezing, or vomiting.

How It Spreads, How To Avoid

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Walking pneumonia is spread through respiratory droplets.

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The CDC advises handwashing and covering coughs to limit spread.

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