There has been a significant increase in cases of pneumonia in children in China.
New Delhi: After China, countries like Denmark and Netherlands have also joined the new countries reporting the outbreak of pneumonia in children. A post on Avian Flu Diary, a blog that provides information about infectious diseases, revealed that Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection has reached epidemic levels. The increase in cases started in the summer but has increased significantly in the last 5 weeks. According to Denmark’s Statens Serum Institute, ‘This number is now so high that it can be called an epidemic.’
Such an epidemic occurs every fourth year
‘The number of new cases has increased significantly over the past 5 weeks, and we are now seeing significantly more cases than usual, and widespread infection throughout the country,’ said Henne-Dorthe Emborg, senior researcher at the Statens Serum Institut. In the 47th week, 541 new cases of Mycoplasma pneumonia infection were reported, which is more than 3 times the 168 cases found in the 42nd week of the year. The real number of cases is probably much higher, because not everyone with mild symptoms is tested. Emborg, however, said that these cases are ‘not unusual’ for Denmark and that the country faces such epidemics approximately every four years.
What are the symptoms of this pneumonia?
The senior researcher said that this phenomenon usually occurs most in autumn and early winter. Emborg said, ‘The number of mycoplasma infections has been very low for the last four years, and so the onset of an epidemic is not unusual. We were really looking forward to this after the lockdown was imposed in the country following the Covid-19 pandemic. The disease often presents with mild flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, headache, sore throat and a prolonged dry cough, especially at night. Most people have fever, but it is often not as high as influenza and other pneumonias.
Increase in cases related to youth also
This has earned it the nickname ‘cold pneumonia’ or ‘atypical pneumonia’ because even regular penicillin has no effect on the infection, the post said. According to reports last week, the Netherlands has recorded a significant increase in cases of pneumonia among children and youth since August. According to the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), 103 out of every 100,000 children aged 5 to 14 suffered pneumonia last week. NIVEL data shows this was 24 percent more than the 83 recorded in the previous 7 days.
There was a sudden surge in cases in China
Let us tell you that after the increasing cases of pneumonia in children’s hospitals in China, it is shocking to see so many cases in these countries. A surge in respiratory infections in China has raised concerns that a new virus may be behind the disease, although its officials have rejected any such suggestion. Chinese authorities had informed the World Health Organization that no new viruses had been detected in these cases and that the illnesses were caused by known seasonal viruses such as flu and RSV, as well as the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
being closely monitored in india
At the same time, in view of recent reports indicating an increase in respiratory diseases among children in China, the Union Health Ministry has advised the states to immediately review public health preparedness. The ministry said in a statement on Sunday that it has decided to proactively review initial measures to combat the respiratory illness out of an abundance of caution. It said, ‘This is considered important in view of the current influenza and winter season, due to which cases of respiratory illness are increasing. The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation and has indicated that there is no need for any warning.
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