Rise in cases | Should we be worried about atypical pneumonia?

Cases of atypical pneumonia are increasing in Quebec. The emergency rooms of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center (CHU) and the Montreal Children’s Hospital are seeing more and more young people affected by this infection. Some need to be hospitalized. Should we be worried? Answers to your questions.

What is atypical pneumonia?

This is a respiratory infection caused by bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It causes less acute symptoms than those of classic bacterial pneumonia: sore throat, cough, fatigue and fever (rarely high).

It can affect everyone, but currently in Quebec, it mainly affects school-age children and adolescents.

It is nicknamed “walking pneumonia”, or “ walking pneumonia ” in English. “People will be able to continue to go to work and school,” says Dr.^r Jesse Papenburg, pediatrician and microbiologist-infectious disease specialist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “They don’t necessarily need to be bedridden. »

Symptoms often go away on their own. But an antibiotic may be necessary. According to the D^r Papenburg, some children need to be hospitalized because they “need oxygen or respiratory support.” Others experience severe rashes or have “extremely irritated, ulcerated mucous membranes of the mouth.”

The infection can lead to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). “We have had cases”, confirms the D^re Caroline Quach, pediatrician and microbiologist-infectious disease specialist at CHU Sainte-Justine. She specifies that “the vast majority” of patients “recover” after encephalitis.

How to explain the increase in cases?

Epidemics of infections in Mycoplasma pneumoniae occur every three to seven years, according to the experts consulted. In Quebec, cases have been increasing since the spring.

“We have been doing the PCR test for a little over ten years to detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae and since September, we have reached unprecedented levels,” indicates the D^re Maude Paquette, pediatrician and microbiologist-infectious disease specialist at CHU Sainte-Justine. “This is really the first spike we’ve seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. »

The infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae is not a notifiable disease in Quebec. It is also not subject to “specific surveillance” by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS), however, claims to be “closely monitoring the situation” with partners in the public network. “To date, we have received some signals of increased traffic,” one wrote in an email.

An MSSS monitoring team also “continuously” monitors the spread of cases around the world. Notably, a rise in infections was recorded in China and France in December 2023. Two weeks ago, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase in cases, particularly among young children. .

Should we be worried?

No, say the experts. “But if the fever persists, things are not going well, the child is much more damaged, we see that from a neurological point of view, there is something wrong, we will consult “, said the D^re Quach, recalling that parents can “trust their judgment”.

This explosion of cases does not represent “a public health crisis”, wishes to emphasize the D^r Papenburg. But it is worth, according to him, to “make parents and family doctors aware” of this “epidemic of cases”.

Diagnosing the disease allows children to benefit from antibiotics which will “reduce the duration of symptoms, probably also reduce the infectiousness of the affected person”, he explains. The antibiotic prescribed differs from that offered for classic bacterial pneumonia.

Can atypical pneumonia be prevented?

No, there is no vaccine against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. According to the D^r Papenburg, children who have a cough “should wear a mask if they are well enough to go to school” to prevent transmission of this infection.