Community-acquired pneumonia is down, but RSV and influenza are taking over
Posted January 7, 2025 5:51 pm.
Last Updated January 7, 2025 6:40 pm.
After a sharp increase, cases of community-acquired pneumonia in Canada appear to be decreasing, particularly among children. However, doctors are now warning families about seasonal flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, makes the same observation.
As the outbreak of community-acquired pneumonia subsides, Dr. Papenburg says flu season is back in full swing. While many cases of the flu are mild, he cautions that the disease poses a higher risk to young children and people over the age of 75.
Dr. Kirstin Weerdenburg, a pediatric emergency physician at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, says she has diagnosed more cases of community-acquired pneumonia in the past six months than she has in her 15 years of practice.
However, she has noticed fewer cases of community-acquired pneumonia, a less serious illness caused by the bacteria mycoplasma pneumonia, during the month of December. However, she is seeing more children coming to the emergency room with seasonal flu or RSV.
This influenza virus is responsible for the hospitalization of more than a thousand children in Canada each year, according to data from the Public Health Agency.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
