After the cases reported in China, childhood pneumonia is also on the rise in France. Beyond the Alps, consultations for pneumonia have grown by 36% among under-15s in recent days. A strong increase which, according to radio Europe 1, is linked to the return ofi a bacterium that disappeared during the health crisis linked to Covid-19The mycoplasma pneumoniawhich would also be responsible at least in part for the explosion of respiratory diseases in China.
What is mycoplasma pneumonia
This small bacterium is transmitted via the respiratory route, in case of prolonged contact and the incubation period varies by 1-3 weeks. From 13 to 19 November 2023, again among under-15s, Santé Publique France recorded 700 calls to SOS Médecins and 2,150 visits to the emergency room.
Record figures for the last ten years. The symptoms resemble those of the flu or Covid: fever, fatigue, cough. «Since last April there has been an increase in the global circulation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, in particular in Asia, but also in Europe. Both in the city and in the countryside there is an increase in hospitalizations in the Hexagon”, confirms doctor Alexandre Bleibtreu, member of the Société de pathologie infectieuse de langue française (SPILF).
At the moment, transalpine health authorities remain vigilant. A surveillance system is currently deployed throughout the territory to record new cases and understand the extent of the spread of the virus. If the increase persists in the coming weeks, Paris could issue an alert. At the moment, the so-called ‘barrier gestures’ and the use of a mask remain strongly recommended.