After a sharp increase, cases of walking pneumonia across Canada, particularly among children, appear to be declining.
But doctors are now warning families about the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
Dr. Kristin Weerdenburg, a pediatric emergency physician at IWK Health Center in Halifax, says she has diagnosed more cases of walking pneumonia in the past six months than in her more than 15-year career.
But over the past month, Weerdenburg has noticed fewer cases of walking pneumonia (called mycoplasma pneumoniae) and is seeing more children coming to the emergency room with the flu or RSV.
Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at Montreal Children’s Hospital, says he’s seeing the same thing.
Just as the walking pneumonia outbreak subsides, Papenburg says flu season is picking up.
While many flu cases are mild, Papenburg says the disease poses a greater risk to young children and those over 75, adding that the virus is responsible for more than 1,000 hospitalizations annually in the Montreal Children’s Hospital network. .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.