Lake Cumberland District Health Department is seeing an increase of pneumonaie cases in young children across the district. Similarly, there is an increase of cases across Kentucky. In some cases, Mycoplasma Pneumonaie is the known etiology. Mycoplasma is a bacterium that can infect different parts of the body. Mycoplasma Pneumonaie 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, and a sore throat. When a Mycoplasma infection progresses to pneumonia, it’s typically a less severe form of bacterial pneumonia commonly referred to as “walking pneumonia.” For prevention, all people should practice goodhand hygiene and cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
