It’s caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports test positivity for walking pneumonia increased in late spring of 2024 and remained high.

The term walking pneumonia was coined because it’s possible for someone to be walking around with the infection, and not even know it.

“They're walking around school and they're not feeling that sick. They do have pneumonia but it's not putting them in the hospital typically,” says Keith Hanson, MD, the medical director of the General Pediatrics Unit at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Dr. Hanson says every year some strains of illness, or a particular virus, are more common than others. Right now, it’s pneumonia.

"What's a little unusual about this year, is we're seeing that same bacteria causing pneumonia in kids that are younger than usual, and the severity of the illness is more. We're seeing more kids admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, and they're definitely younger than that typical age range like preschoolers and even some infants,” Dr. Hanson says.

Tracking cases nationally and across the region

The CDC is tracking the rise in cases, which have been seen both nationwide and locally in central Illinois.

Data from OSF HealthCare show a major increase in overall pneumonia cases for patients younger than 18 years of age this year over last, looking at the dates from August 1 through October 22.

In 2023, there were 171 patients with pneumonia and only three cases were reported to have come from the M. pneumoniae bacterium. In 2024, overall cases jumped to 641 with 143 having pneumonia due to M. pneumoniae. 81 of the cases in the 2024 range were reported from the hospital.

Signs and symptoms of walking pneumonia

"It's that cough, a prolonged cough especially, fevers and difficulty breathing in more severe cases," Dr. Hanson says. “They might be dehydrated and not able to drink as much, so they're not urinating as much. They can be sleepier and more fatigued, which is pretty common.”

Dr. Hanson says as is the case with bacterial infections, there are antibiotics to treat walking pneumonia. The hope of the antibiotics is to shorten the illness and make it less severe, while decreasing the chance of spreading the infection to others.

“This is one that would need antibiotics. Other respiratory infections like RSV or COVID-19 are viruses, where there's no particular medication to treat it," Dr. Hanson says. "So, if it is this Mycoplasma pneumonia, there is an antibiotic that can treat it. We want to make sure kids are staying hydrated and getting enough rest. You can do fever control with Tylenol and ibuprofen." 

While most pneumonia cases don’t send kids to the hospital, it is possible for children with other medical conditions to be hospitalized. If they are admitted, they may need IV fluids for dehydration or oxygen to help with breathing. This is another reason Dr. Hanson recommends starting antibiotics right away, because if pneumonia goes untreated, there’s a higher chance you could end up in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).

When pneumonia is connected to a viral infection

"We start thinking about bacterial infections after times that you're sick, you get better, then you get worse a few days later. That's because the virus was going on first, with a runny nose, low grade fever and some coughing. Then you feel better for a couple of days, and then it comes back. That's when we think there was a bacterial infection on top of the virus,” Dr. Hanson says. “That's because when we have the virus, we get mucus and secretions and we're not coughing things up very well. Things are settling there in the lungs and you're not very active. That increased inflammation and mucus is a setup for bacterial infections.”

Pneumonia prevention tips

-          If you’re sick, stay home

-          Make sure kids blow their nose

-          Cough or sneeze in your elbow

-          Wear a mask in the community if you’re sick. It could prevent respiratory droplets from spreading.

-          Wash your hands

-          Hydrate well

-          Focus on good sleep

Video Interview Clips

After decades of decline, drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Over 4,500 people died each year from drowning from 2020-2022, reported in the CDC’s Vital Signs study. The study shows drowning to be the number one cause of death for children ages 1-4. The research points out that 55% of American adults have never taken a swimming lesson, and that drowning death rates for Black people were 28% higher in 2021 than 2019.

Jon Gehlbach, MD, is the medical director of the Pediatric Critical Care Unit at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. He says swim lessons and adult supervision are two of the most important things for kids getting in the water.

“The best thing we can do to keep kids safe around the water is getting them comfortable with swim lessons. A common misconception among young, pre-swim lesson kids is that some type of flotation device is replacement for either swim lessons or adult supervision. Unfortunately, those devices aren’t really designed to keep kids safe in the water without those two other elements,” Dr. Gehlbach says.

Know CPR

In the unfortunate event your child loses consciousness underwater, Dr. Gehlbach says knowing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is of the utmost importance.

“The first thing is to make sure you’re safe getting in the water. If you can’t swim, don’t turn a single-person drowning into a 2-person drowning by trying to be a hero. Instead, get help as soon as possible. If the drowning was unwitnessed, a quick glimpse around the pool will make sure there’s not an accident like a downed powerline that provides a route for electrocution. Ensure your own safety first,” Dr. Gehlbach says. “If you can exclude that, get the child out. I strongly feel that anyone who is going to be in a scenario where there are children swimming and there’s no lifeguard present, someone needs to be CPR certified. The best chance for a drowned child to recover is fast, effective CPR.”

Time is brain

“Time is of the essence. There’s a statement in critical care that ‘time is brain.’ The longer that brain is going without oxygen, the lower chance of a meaningful neurologic recovery,” Dr. Gehlbach says. “Ten seconds is far better than thirty seconds, which is far better than a minute.”

One of the most common reasons for child drowning, Dr. Gehlbach says, is when a child enters the pool without adults even knowing.

“A lot of those are family home pools where the kid gets outside and the family is not aware, they go to look for the child, and they’re at the bottom of the pool and who knows how long they’ve been down there,” Dr. Gehlbach adds.

Drowning isn’t what it looks like on TV

“I think many people are under the false impression that when a child begins to drown that it’s a noisy event with a lot of splashing, that’s how it looks on TV,” Dr. Gehlbach says. “Unfortunately, the realistic picture is that it’s a much more quiet and non-chaotic event. They slip below the surface, they inhale a lung full of water, and there’s no splashing just a quiet sinking to the bottom.”

Dr. Gehlbach recommends swimming lessons for anyone, especially young kids. If you have a pool at home, he recommends having a four-sided fence around the pool, and having an alarm system on your door which is closest to the pool in case a child gets outside.

Video Interview Clips

As trick-or-treating nears, and with holiday festivals right around the corner, it’s important to keep your kids’ safety at the top of mind.

But you don’t have to wait until you get to the event to have a safety plan in place. Dr. Kyle Boerke, a clinical psychologist with OSF HealthCare says conversations should be had before leaving the house.

“Those conversations should surround what I call the ‘proximity rule’ or the ‘distance rule.’ There are going to be different distance rules for different settings,” Dr. Boerke says. “If I’m going to an event that’s going to be very crowded, that proximity rule should probably be for younger aged kids to be holding their caregiver’s hand.”

Dr. Boerke says when it comes to kids running off and playing with their friends, it all depends on the comfort level of the parents. He adds that in some cases, it’s OK to allow the proximity rule to become an “area rule.”

“If I know the parents of my kid’s friend fairly well, I’m more comfortable letting my kiddo go and sit in that area and play. Because I know there are going to be other responsible adults watching them,” Dr. Boerke says. “If it’s a family I don’t know as much, I’m probably going to be more guarded and keep my child closer.”

A tip Dr. Boerke shares is designating a meetup place in case you and your child get separated.

“We’re going to have a specified meetup place. I would recommend it to be a large item, like a statue. Or if you’re at a fair, pick a certain ride you’ll meet at. Don’t make it be a particular water fountain or bench, because there’s probably 20 water fountains and 40 benches,” Dr. Boerke adds.

Another tip? Defining “safe strangers.” Decades ago, “stranger danger” was a phrase used by parents around the world. Dr. Boerke says now it’s important to be able to identify what a “safe stranger” is in case of emergency.

“A safe stranger is somebody that you don’t know, but because of the setting and circumstance, we can consider them safe. Some examples are firefighters or police officers. They’re strangers to our kids, but they are safe strangers,” Dr. Boerke says. “If we’re in a department store, the individual wearing the shirt of that store with the name badge, that’s a safe stranger. They work at that location and they’re there to help us. If you’re at a big event, a security officer or a greeter that is walking people to their seats, that’s a safe stranger. When all else fails, the best safe strangers are moms with other kids. If you can find a mom with two kiddos with her, that is a great safe stranger. We want to train our children to approach those people so they can stay safe.”

If your child is full of energy and tends to run off easily, Dr. Boerke says it’s important to develop stricter guidelines for going out to public events.

“We need to be holding hands, at that point. If you do need to reach into your purse or get your wallet out for something, have them hang on to the belt loop on your pants or hang on to the stroller that you’re with. Make sure to set those expectations as early as possible,” Dr. Boerke emphasizes.

In case of emergency, you may not be in the greatest headspace and your judgment may be impaired. A way to combat this, especially if you get separated from your children, is to take a photo of them on your phone at the beginning of an event.

“It’s great posterity, but more importantly you’re getting a picture of what they’re wearing that day. So if we do lose track of them, especially when your mindset is not thinking clearly, you might not remember what they’re wearing. But if I can pull up that picture I have on my phone, it’s going to help me stay calm because I was able to give a good, clear description of what my child is wearing and we just increased the chances they’re going to be found,” Dr. Boerke says.

As trick-or-treaters hit the streets this fall, Dr. Boerke has some guidance on how to keep your kids safe while still having fun.

“For our younger aged kids, make sure we’re going with an adult. For the older aged kids, we want to make sure we have a buddy. Wear bright costumes. If you have a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough that you can see,” Dr. Boerke says. “I recommend flipping that mask up during trick-or-treating when you’re not at a house or walking from house to house. That ensures you can see more clearly especially if you’re crossing a street, your view won’t be constricted by that mask.”

Lastly, Dr. Boerke recommends making sure you’re only going to houses that have lights on.

Video Interview Clips