The average age of the children affected is around 8 years old, and the cases span multiple school districts. Most common symptoms, according to a parent questionnaire, include cough, fever and fatigue.
The district said that this is a large increase in the number of typical pneumonia cases, though the severity of the cases is similar to previous years. Most children recover at home with treatment by antibiotics.
They added that the increase is not suspected of being a new respiratory virus. They said that they are investigating possible linkages and risk factors, but there isn’t any evidence that this outbreak is connected to any other outbreaks.
Among the pathogens found in the children are Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Adenovirus.
The health district said that it isn’t uncommon for respiratory illnesses to spread in the community at this time of year, and this information is shared to make people aware of the illness and take steps to protect their health and their children’s health like washing hands, covering coughs, staying home while ill and staying up to date on vaccines.
About the Author
