While France, Denmark and China report an increase in cases of respiratory illnesses linked to the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniaeCanada remains in the shadows: the Public Health Agency does not monitor these infections.
What there is to know
Neither the Federal Public Health Agency nor the Quebec Ministry of Health tracks cases of bacterial infections Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Cases of these infections are on the rise in several countries around the world, notably in France, Denmark and China.
Most infected people recover without treatment, but some people may need antibiotics.
Young adults and school-age children are most affected.
“The Public Health Agency of Canada does not conduct surveillance specific to infections M. pneumoniae in Canada,” said senior media relations advisor Anna Maddison in response to the request for The Press.
Same story in Quebec: bacterial infection Mycoplasma pneumoniae is not a reportable disease in the province. “Thus, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) is not aware of cases associated with this pathogen,” indicated Marie-Pierre Blier, MSSS media relations.
In the event that there is an outbreak caused by this bacteria representing a threat to the population, it should be reported to public health authorities, she specifies.
The bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of bacterial respiratory infection. Although most people recover without treatment, seriously ill people may need antibiotics, the federal agency says.
“ Mycoplasma pneumoniae is not on the list of notifiable diseases, because they may have the wrong perception that it is an infection that is not serious. […] With what we see elsewhere in the world, we need to have a monitoring method,” said Dr.r Donald Vinh, infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the McGill University Health Center.
Increase elsewhere in the world
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern on November 22 about an increase in cases of respiratory diseases in China and asked the Chinese authorities for more detailed information, calling on the population to better protect themselves. Chinese authorities attributed the increase to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of various pathogens, including the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
French health authorities have also reported an “unusual increase in cases of respiratory infections” caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
The vast majority of infections are mild and resolve spontaneously, but some cases may require hospitalization, indicated the Directorate General of Health.
Furthermore, infections with Mycoplasma pneumoniae have reached epidemic level in Denmark, with an increase that began over the summer but increased significantly over the past five weeks, Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut said this week, warning and controls infectious diseases.
Outbreaks associated with this bacteria tend to occur in late summer and early fall. When we know that epidemics can occur every three to five years, “what we see elsewhere in the world is not out of the ordinary,” explains Dr.r Vinh.
Children and young adults most affected
Infections with Mycoplasma pneumoniae can affect anyone, but are more common in young adults and school-age children, says the Public Health Agency of Canada. Outbreaks mainly occur in places where there is close contact such as schools, student residences, long-term care facilities and hospitals.
In children younger than 5 years, infections may present with a runny nose, wheezing, diarrhea and vomiting, but may not necessarily lead to pneumonia or fever.
The progression to pneumonia is, however, common among young people aged 5 to 15, indicates the MSSS.
“We know that there are certain people in whom pneumonia can cause respiratory failure and, in rarer cases, it can come out of the lungs and affect the brain, so it is quite important,” says the Dr Vinh.
Tests are available for health professionals in Quebec to detect this pathogen, indicates the MSSS.
With Agence France-Presse