The world was recently alerted to an outbreak of a mysterious influenza-like illness among school children in China, known as ‘Walking Pneumonia.’ The exact cause of the outbreak is currently unknown. However, medical professionals have speculated that it might be due to mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacterial infection also known as ‘walking pneumonia.’ Chinese authorities maintain that the outbreak is due to familiar pathogens such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenovirus, and the influenza virus, excluding the possibility of novel pathogens like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus.
Defining Walking Pneumonia
Walking Pneumonia, or atypical pneumonia, is a milder form of pneumonia, mainly caused by bacteria, such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It derives its nickname, “walking,” due to mild symptoms that allow people to carry on with their daily activities without needing bed rest or hospitalization. Walking Pneumonia is most common in children, especially those between 5 to 15 years who maintain close contact at school, leading to swift transmission to family members.
Transmission and Symptoms of Walking Pneumonia
The spread of walking pneumonia primarily occurs through airborne droplets generated from coughing, sneezing, or talking which makes close contact a significant factor. Prominent symptoms include a persistent cough, fever, sore throat, headache, runny nose, ear pain, and sometimes, chest discomfort triggered by coughing.
Treating Walking Pneumonia
Treatment for walking pneumonia generally comprises antibiotics specifically targeted at combating the bacteria causing the infection.
A Look at Initiatives Related to Pneumonia
In India, an initiative called Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) aims to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, accounting nearly for 15% of deaths among children under five each year. The governmental objective is to lessen pneumonia-linked deaths in children to below three per 1,000 live births by 2025.
In 2014, India also introduced the ‘Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD),’ designed to facilitate collaborative efforts towards preventing diarrhoea and pneumonia-related deaths in children under five.
Global Initiatives against Pneumonia
On the global scale, the World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched an integrated Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD). This initiative aims to eradicate preventable childhood deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea by 2025.