Walking pneumonia cases surge in Nova Scotia

Pharmacies and hospitals in Nova Scotia are seeing a significant increase in walking pneumonia cases, with the trend particularly affecting children.

“Before the summer, I hadn’t been seeing a lot of azithromycin prescribed before for respiratory infections but that is definitely been on the increase,” said Peter Jorna, pharmacist at Nova Pharmacy.

At the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, doctors have a reported a surge in younger patients.

“We’ve seen 110 children diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumoniae since the beginning of summer – about zero-to-40 cases per month,” said Dr. Emma Burns, IWK Health’s emergency department chief.

The rise in cases is not limited to children. Halifax-area emergency departments saw 753 pneumonia cases in October, a sharp increase from the same period last year.

Dr. Matt Clarke, an emergency department physician, said most cases of walking pneumonia are mild and self-resolve without treatment.

“In most patients, it leads to a self-limiting disease. Only about five per cent of people develop an actual pneumonia,” Clarke said.

Experts believe the increase follows a cyclical pattern, with surges every one-to-seven years.

“The last time we had it was about six years ago,” said Burns. “So we were kind of due for a bit of a surge.”

While the reasons for the higher numbers this year remain unclear, doctors suggest the trend may continue into the winter months.

Public Health officials recommend handwashing, staying home when sick, and consulting a physician if symptoms, such as persistent coughing or fatigue, worsen. 

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