Influenza, 10-fold increase in cases of atypical pneumonia

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the likelihood of the 2024-2025 flu strain causing so-called ‘atypical pneumonia’ has increased tenfold since last year. The disease, a less aggressive and debilitating form of pneumonia, is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae and, in extreme cases, can develop into severe pneumonia, worsening asthma and even encephalitis, requiring hospitalisation. Although Mycoplasma pneumoniae spreads through coughing and sneezing droplets, it is not as contagious as other pathogens. The incidence rate of atypical pneumonia has exhibited an anomalous increase, with a disproportionate impact on children and younger adolescents (below the age of 17) during the late spring season, reaching a worrisome peak in August 2024.