VUMC doctors see surge in whooping cough, walking pneumonia cases
Cases of the respiratory infections are on the rise throughout the country and in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Not just one, but two respiratory diseases are making their way through Tennessee; whooping cough and walking pneumonia.
The CDC reports that Tennessee has more than three times the number of whooping cough cases this year than it did this time last year.
When Stephanie Napodano’s 12-year-old daughter got sick, she was told for days that it was just a virus.
“She was still running that high fever of 104, the really bad headaches,” Napodano said.
They finally got the diagnosis of Mycoplasma also known as “walking pneumonia,” an infection that Vanderbilt University Medical Center Doctor Buddy Creech said they’re seeing more cases of in Tennessee.
“Mycoplasma could be the cause of an illness that’s not getting better with traditional antibiotics like we would use for pneumonia, especially in children,” Dr. Creech said.
It’s also what happened to Lyrad Vass Gal whose son was being treated for pneumonia and not getting any better. It’s because he also had walking pneumonia.
“They switched him to z-pack and he immediately responded and perked up, got a lot better,” Vass Gal said.
The reason whooping cough is so common right now, doctors say, is partially because of low vaccinations rates.
“Make sure their child is vaccinated. It’s the best way to prevent severe infection and even infection overall. That’s number one. And then, I think number two is to recognize it’s important for us to recognize that whooping cough or Pertussis looks like a cold and then it looks like a typical cough illness until it doesn’t,” Dr. Creech said.
Dr. Creech says if your child isn’t getting better after typical treatment, one of those respiratory infections might be the answer. It’s important to know they’re going around, so you can look out for symptoms.
“We need to be thinking about these two infections, whooping cough and walking pneumonia, so that we can adjust our therapies,” Dr. Creech said.
The best thing you can do to avoid whooping cough is get vaccinated. There is no vaccine for walking pneumonia, so his best advice is to wash your hands.
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