Northeast Texas experienced normal rates this fall of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu as well as low COVID-19 rates. However, cases of walking pneumonia in younger children up to age 4 have been abnormally high, according to area health officials.
The illness is caused by a bacteria called mycoplasma pneumoniae and is spread by respiratory droplets.
性视界传媒淭ypically (the bacteria) causes those symptoms in older children and young adults at much higher frequencies. Seeing those higher rates in this young population is something that is new over the last several months,性视界传媒 said Smith County Health Authority Dr. Valerie Smith.
She said she doesn性视界传媒檛 know what is causing the spread but noted it is easier for younger children to transmit illnesses.
性视界传媒淎t those ages, they don性视界传媒檛 practice hygiene the same way that adults and older children can,性视界传媒 Smith said.
Previously, people might have worn masks and kept distance from others because of COVID-19 concerns, but these mitigation efforts have largely vanished.
This might be a contributing factor to the rise of pneumonia cases, said Kathleen 性视界传媒淜T性视界传媒 Helgesen, pediatric nurse practitioner at Bethesda Pediatrics in Tyler.
性视界传媒淣obody has a mask on. We kind of have this mentality of, 性视界传媒榃ho cares if I性视界传媒檓 sick?性视界传媒 or 性视界传媒業 did an at-home COVID test and it was negative, so I can be around whoever性视界传媒 instead of saying, 性视界传媒楬ey, there性视界传媒檚 still other viral illnesses that we should be cautious about,性视界传媒櫺允咏绱綕 Helgesen said.
One of the symptoms of walking pneumonia is excessive fatigue, so a person who can normally walk up a flight of stairs may feel winded. Other symptoms include low-grade fever in younger children, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, vomiting and diarrhea, Smith said.
The incubation period for walking pneumonia is one to four weeks. It may take time before symptoms start presenting after someone gets sick. But once someone starts developing symptoms, they may be symptomatic and contagious.
性视界传媒淚t can make people sick for very long, but often their sickness is less severe than for people who have other types of bacterial pneumonia, so they may go longer before they seek medical care or before they性视界传媒檙e accurately diagnosed,性视界传媒 Smith said.
Treatment can be challenging because antibiotics used to treat bacterial pneumonias common in children do not work on mycoplasma pneumoniae. Doctors have to figure out what bacteria is causing the pneumonia before properly treating it. Samples of mucus or phlegm must be collected, which can be difficult to get from younger children, especially those who are intubated.
Due to the higher rates of walking pneumonia, Helgesen has started testing for it earlier and more frequently. On Dec. 4, she had a patient who had symptoms for three days and had developed a fever. A test confirmed mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Historically, the positivity rate for walking pneumonia is 10%, but now is at 75%, Helgesen said.
性视界传媒淚t is very contagious,性视界传媒 she said. 性视界传媒淚n fact, it can spread up to 90% of household contacts. So it is important that we test and treat it more to stop the spread of it.性视界传媒
Lack of data can be worrisome, according to Smith, because walking pneumonia is not a reportable disease by hospitals in Texas.
RSV, flu rates
In November, Texas Department of State Health Services Region 4/5 性视界传媒 which includes Gregg, Upshur, Rusk, Smith and Harrison counties 性视界传媒 experienced the start of a gradual increase in RSV and flu cases, according Smith.
Weekly emergency department visits for RSV and the flu increased about 2.5 times from Nov. 2 to Dec. 7. Emergency department visits for RSV were 837 the week of Nov. 2 and 2,104 during the week of Dec. 7. Meanwhile, flu visits to the ER increased from 1,043 weekly to 2,605 from Nov. 2 to Dec. 7, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services
性视界传媒淭hankfully, in our area, COVID cases still remain very low, so from a respiratory virus standpoint, this season so far looks pretty typical,性视界传媒 Smith said.
Fewer vaccinations
Area medical officials said they saw fewer patients get vaccinated this fall and are concerned this will lead to future higher respiratory infection rates.
性视界传媒淰accinations in general are under the microscope these days, and it性视界传媒檚 very unfortunate because the vaccinations we have nowadays are probably the safest vaccinations we性视界传媒檝e ever had, and they make such an enormous difference in caring for patients,性视界传媒 said Dr. Doug Curran, Chief Medical Officer at East Texas Community Clinic.
Dr. Anita Scribner, chief medical officer at Special Health Resources, said more people have been declining the flu vaccine at its clinics.
In her work as a physician at Longview Regional Medical Center, she sees patients who become sick with bacterial super infections after having the flu.
性视界传媒淎 week later, they can get bacteria that super infect the already compromised lung from the flu. So you get what we call bacterial super infection,性视界传媒 Scribner said.
Taking precautions
Health providers emphasize the importance of preventative measures, including getting vaccinated, which can help reduce the chance of infections of multiple illnesses at once and reduce the severity of illness.
For those with underlying health conditions, medical officials say preventing illness is important. Premature babies as well as people with undeveloped lungs and heart problems are at-risk populations, Helgesen said. Children with lung problems, immune deficiencies and neuromuscular disorders along with asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic lung issues are vulnerable to respiratory illnesses, according to Smith.
In order to reduce the spread of viruses, health providers advise frequent handwashing and staying home when sick. If a sick person must go out, officials advise to wear a mask to reduce the spread of droplets.
