Walking Pneumonia Cases Spike Among Young Kids

MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Walking pneumonia cases are surging among young children in the United States, federal health officials warn.

"Bacterial infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae increased in the United States since late spring and have remained high," a statement issued Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted. "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 worst rates of the illness have been seen in young children ages 2 to 4, according to the agency.