2023-11-24 12:12:18
At the end of November, lung infections are increasing among those under 15 years of age more significantly than in previous winters. The mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria is subject to specific surveillance.
Doctors on alert. Lung infections are on the rise at the end of November, particularly among children, according to SOS Médecins. If the situation is classic as winter approaches, an alert has been issued concerning a particular bacteria, called mycoplasma pneumoniae, mainly affecting children aged 6 to 15.
+36% of pneumonia in children under 15 years old
According to Public Health France, consultations for pneumonia with SOS Médecins are up 36% among those under 15 for the week of November 13 to 19, according to a bulletin published Thursday.
The figure follows a trend found in a number of other infections, still among those under 15, such as ENT pathologies and influenza (up 29% and 24% respectively) or for bronchitis (+23 %) and suspicions of Covid-19 (+44%).
“We are currently in an epidemic period for RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus, editor’s note),” confirms pediatrician Andreas Werner, president of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA), to BFMTV.com. The increase in pneumonia is, however, significantly greater at the end of November than last year, and the year before, at the same time.
An “alert” issued on a bacteria
The pediatrician tells BFMTV.com that his entire profession has received an “alert” regarding a particular bacteria, called mycoplasma pneumoniae.
“There are more cases and they are more serious, with cases in intensive care,” he says.
Concretely, the doctor explains that he receives patients presenting the symptoms of a classic infection, with a high fever and a cough, in whom classic antibiotics are ineffective. After several days, the doctor must review his prescription.
According to the pediatrician, mycoplasma infection mainly affects children between 6 and 15 years old, therefore not the youngest. “It’s much rarer in children under 5-6 years old,” assures Andreas Werner.
Fever, cough and headache
“These are so-called acute community pneumonias, that is to say they are not caught in the hospital, but in the city,” virologist Bruno Lina told BFMTV.
The symptoms observed are close to those of classic pneumonia. “Fever, we cough, we sneeze, we have a headache and we can also have, when pneumonia develops, a cough with shortness of breath,” he then lists.
In the event that this last symptom is observed, it is absolutely necessary to go to the hospital, emphasizes the doctor. Small particularity, this type of infection has a “fairly long incubation period, often two weeks”, according to Bruno Lina.
The doctor, however, wants to be reassuring. “Not all forms of mycoplasma pneumoniae are serious forms,” he emphasizes, specifying that “the associated mortality is low.” Furthermore, the disease is generally well treated, using several antibiotics.
A cyclical increase?
But why such an increase? If the pediatrician Andreas Werner does not come forward and assures that the upward trend in contaminations must still be confirmed in the next 2 to 3 weeks, the virologist Bruno Lina estimates that this type of pneumonia evolves by period.
“We know that it is a bacterium which has circulation cycles at the international level, approximately every 5 years. However, the winter of 2023-2024 falls within the 5 years following the last time that mycoplama pneumoniae was given an epidemic at the international level with an increase in the number of cases,” he explains.
“There is a risk of mycoplasma pneumoniae circulating a little more abundantly than usual within 5-15 years,” estimates the scientist, thus seeing the trend continuing over time in the medium term.
A post-Covid increase?
For the two doctors, the Covid-19 pandemic is probably also no stranger to this strong comeback of mycoplasmas. “We can inevitably see a link there because we acquired an immunological debt” during this period, explains the president of the AFPA. “For almost two years, there were much fewer infections in the entire population than usual, so the level of antibodies fell,” he continues.
“Post-Covid, we had episodes with more infectious diseases, such as herpangina,” explains the pediatrician, referring to this painful infection, notably causing blisters.
For the moment, the doctor says he remains on guard. “It’s something to keep an eye on, but we’re not particularly worried,” he said.
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