Ohio health officials have warned in recent days that cases of childhood pneumonia are spiking in the state.
The Warren County Health District said in a statement Wednesday that 145 cases of pneumonia have been reported in children ages 3 to 14 since August. In an initial news release Tuesday, the health district acknowledged that the spread of the disease is considered an “outbreak” because the number of cases is above average.
Recent media reports have compared the surge in cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, known as “white lung syndrome,” in both Ohio and China. But state health officials have warned that the outbreak is not linked to China. That means the strain of the virus seen by Ohio doctors is not spreading from country to country.
Cases are rising in Ohio, but health experts say the trend is partly expected as part of flu season and could worsen as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. He said that there is a sex.
Clint Koenig, a family physician and medical director for the Warren County Health Department, said there is “no evidence whatsoever of a link to any outbreak within the state or internationally.” “There is no evidence to suggest that this is not caused by the everyday, standard winter bug and causes high rates of pneumonia in children.”
Dr. Koenig emphasized that the pediatric pneumonia cases in Ohio are not a new or new virus, but rather a strain of pneumonia already circulating in the United States. The Warren County district reports most children are recovering at home and no deaths have been recorded related to the outbreak.
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about both outbreaks and why authorities think they’re not related.
China is experiencing a wave of childhood pneumonia.Authorities quell fears of spread of infection
What types of pneumonia are prevalent in Ohio?
According to the Warren County Heath District, the main types of pathogens detected so far have been pneumococcus, adenovirus and mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Meanwhile, cases seen in China include respiratory illnesses such as influenza, rhinovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia cases are also growing in Denmark, reaching epidemic levels, with 541 new cases recorded by the end of last week, according to a research group at the Danish Ministry of Health.
In recent media reports, mycoplasma pneumonia has been described as “white lung syndrome” because the lungs appear white on X-rays of patients with pneumonia. NBC I will report. This term is a medical term and is not used by doctors when treating patients.
U.S. health officials are in contact with Chinese health officials. But medical experts have concluded that the Ohio outbreak appears to have been caused by a mix of respiratory viruses common in cold weather, all of which have previously circulated in the United States. This is what I was looking for.
“Despite the headlines out of China, there is no indication that the new virus or bacteria is spreading from country to country,” said John Brownstein, a physician at Boston Children’s Hospital. ABC News. “This is typical seasonal bacterial and viral activity that we see every year.”
China’s Ministry of Health also said that the respiratory illnesses seen in the country are not new and are all known.
What is mycoplasma pneumonia?
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacteria that can cause mild infections by damaging the lining of the respiratory system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 2 million infections are recorded in the United States each year.
The infection can cause pneumonia, which can cause shortness of breath, but is considered a milder version of pneumonia.
“It’s sometimes called ‘walking pneumonia,’ which means you have pneumonia but aren’t sick enough to be hospitalized,” said James Cutrell, associate professor of infectious diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center. he told NBC.
In most cases, people “can recover at home and receive treatment with antibiotics,” the Ohio Health District said in a statement.
The bacteria is spread by coughing and sneezing, and typically spreads between people who spend a lot of time together, such as in homes, schools, dormitories, military installations, nursing homes, and hospitals.
The Warren County Health District in Ohio said most children are experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever and fatigue. Other symptoms listed by the CDC include sore throat and headache. Children under 5 years of age may experience sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing, vomiting, and diarrhea.
What is causing the outbreak in Ohio?
Bacterial infections such as mycoplasma pneumonia tend to recur every three to seven years in the United States, and the number of infections increases during colder months. Viruses such as influenza, RSV, and the common cold follow a similar pattern.
“Based on our preliminary assessment, we are seeing a seasonal trend. We are not seeing anything unusual, but we are continuing to monitor,” a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Dr. Koenig also noted that although some cases resulted in hospitalization, most were patients with underlying health conditions and their illness was not as severe as in previous years.
Further lifting of restrictions on social interactions after the pandemic may also have contributed to the surge in cases. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota, told NBC that this is especially true in the case of China.
“They really did completely contain all the infections. So they would have predicted exactly what we’re seeing now,” Osterholm said. “We’re seeing an increase in respiratory infections in general, but infections like mycoplasma in particular…this is simply because there’s a growing population of people who are more susceptible to infection. .”
Health officials recommend that everyone six months of age and older get an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot.
People over 60, pregnant women, and infants under 8 months of age are also eligible to receive RSV vaccination to help prevent severe disease and death.