Walking pneumonia: What is it as 'epidemic' spreads across Europe, Ohio and China

A surge in paediatric cases of pneumonia has overtaken Ohio after The Warren County Health District said in a statement on Wednesday that 145 cases of pneumonia have been reported in children between the ages of three and 14 since August. The sheer number of cases has led to the health district confirming the spreading illness was deemed an “outbreak”. 

However, recent reports have drawn comparisons between the spike in cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, dubbed “white lung syndrome,” or "Walking pneumonia" in both Ohio and China. But the spike seen in Ohio is not related to the one in China, meaning it is not spreading from country to country. Experts say the increase could be potentially exacerbated by Covid restrictions being dropped.

Clint Koenig, a family physician and medical director at the Warren County Health Department said: "We have no evidence whatsoever of any connection to any outbreaks statewide or internationally. We don’t have any evidence to suggest this is anything but routine, standard winter bugs causing pneumonia in higher rates in kids.”

What is mycoplasma pneumonia?

Mycoplasma pneumonia is a bacteria that can cause mild infections by damaging the lining of the respiratory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The infection can become pneumonia, where shortness of breath can also be experienced, but is considered a milder version of pneumonia. 

The symptoms are a sore throat, sneezing, cough, headache, mild chills and a low-grade fever. 

The bacteria is spread through coughs and sneezes and is usually spread between people who spend a lot of time together, such as in households, schools, residence halls, and military or care facilities and hospitals but most people can recover at home and are treated with antibiotics. 

Is Europe seeing a rise in Walking pneumonia?

According to Euronews Next, six countries in the European Union or European Economic Area have so far reported increases in mycoplasma pneumoniae infections saying that it could have been exacerbated by limited transmission during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some countries, including Denmark and France, have classified the rise in cases as an "epidemic".

In Denmark, the State Serum Institute says rates are at epidemic levels, with 541 cases last week, more than three times the number in the middle of October.

Hanne-Dorthe Emborg, a senior researcher at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institute, told Euronews Next that when more than 10% of tests carried out by doctors are positive for mycoplasma, it’s considered an epidemic.

Two researchers, Mike Beeton and Patrick Meyer Sauteur looked at surveillance data from 24 countries between April and September 2023 and found the incidences were higher in Europe and Asia. The "most frequent detections" in Europe were in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales, they added in an article published in the Lancet last month.

In the Netherlands, cases have risen sharply since August, with rates already twice as high as the peak last winter. However, it is important to note that Mycoplasma pneumoniae comes in waves every few years, infecting children with no immunity.