Local Trends in Respiratory Infections
The Maryland Department of Health recently sent me an update of trends in respiratory infections, which certainly reflects what I have been seeing in our Harford County community. COVID and Flu infections remain low, though in previous years we have seen a post-holiday spike, so don’t let your guard down! Infections that are currently on the rise include Pertussis, RSV, and Mycoplasma Pneumoniae.
Pertussis is ‘whooping cough’ and most seriously affects infants. The good news is that there is a vaccine for pertussis which you are probably familiar with - Tdap! The Tdap vaccine not only prevents tetanus, but diptheria and pertussis as well. Infants are not able to get a vaccine for pertussis until they are 2-3 months old, but if a Tdap is given during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, they benefit from passive immunity. If you are going to be around young kids this holiday, make sure you are up to date with your Tdap, which is given every 10 years.
RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and similar to pertussis is a significant illness in infants and children. RSV infections can also be severe in older adults, and thus a vaccine is available for those 75 and older, or 60 and older with other risk factors for severe infection. Associated conditions that put people at higher risks for complications from RSV infection include lung disease like asthma and COPD, diabetes, heart disease, liver or kidney disease, and conditions that cause one to be immunocompromised.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacteria which causes ‘walking pneumonia.’ The term ‘walking pneumonia’ is typically used to describe pneumonia that is less severe and might not interfere with one’s ability to do regular activity. This bacteria is naturally resistant to the antibiotics that are typically used to treat pneumonia. We often think of mycoplasma pneumoniae when someone has been diagnosed with pneumonia but isn’t getting better as expected with typical antibiotics. There is not a vaccine available for Mycoplasma, so lean on other preventative measures like hand washing and coughing into your elbow etc.
I know many kids in the county have had mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, my sons included. My youngest had the typical course, starting with a fairly high fever to about 102-103, and a cough which lasted for a few days before we went to his pediatrician. She diagnosed him with pneumonia based on his symptoms and his exam, and started Amoxicillin. After 3 days on the antibiotic, he was still having fevers and started having more respiratory symptoms. He has asthma, which is a risk factor for more severe respiratory infections, so we took him to the ER when his pulse ox dropped and his respirations increased. There he had a chest xray which confirmed pneumonia, and they were able to do a nasal swab that tested positive for mycoplasma. His antibiotics were switched to Azithromycin, and he was back to his typical trouble making within a day!
Talk to your doctor or your pharmacy about your vaccine history to make sure you and your family are fully protected this winter, so you won’t miss out on any holiday celebrations and/or trouble making ;)
