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The agency said increases in M. pneumoniae-associated pneumonia infections began late this past spring, peaked in August, and have remained high.
The CDC said it's using various surveillance tools "to better understand any differences in demographics, severity of illness, and outcomes as compared to M. pneumoniae infections prior to the COVID-19 pandemic."
The agency said it's also contacting healthcare providers and health departments to raise awareness.
Most of the cases in kids involved 2- to 4-year-olds, which "differs from published studies in previous years, when most infections were observed among school-aged children and adolescents," the CDC noted.
M. pneumoniae infections are generally mild and mostly present as a chest cold but may also present as pneumonia.
Symptom onset is typically gradual and can include:
- Fever,
- Cough,
- Sore throat
People with pneumonia caused by M. pneumoniae can seem better than expected for someone with a lung infection. With mild symptoms, people may not stay home or in bed. That's how the phrase "walking pneumonia" came about.
infections are common, with an estimated 2 million infections occurring each year in the United States.
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