Epidemic fears skyrocket as pneumonia cases surge in Europe following China outbreak
Following a similar outbreak in China, childhood pneumonia cases are also rising in Europe.
Pneumonia cases in children are on the rise in Europe, with a second country reporting an increase in this deadly respiratory disease.
The Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) has revealed that 80 out of every 100,000 kids aged between five and 14 were diagnosed with pneumonia last week.
This follows a surge in pneumonia cases in China, where children's hospitals in Beijing have been overwhelmed by young patients with the disease. The outbreak in the Netherlands is the largest one recorded by NIVEL in recent years.
Previously, the highest number of pneumonia cases was recorded during the peak of the 2022 flu season, with 60 cases for every 100,000 children in the same age group.
Neither NIVEL nor the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands have provided an explanation for the increase in pneumonia cases.
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Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that common winter infections, rather than new pathogens, could be behind the spike in hospitalizations in China.
Chinese health authorities have linked the surge in hospital admissions since October to common pathogens like adenoviruses, influenza virus, and RSV.
These pathogens usually cause mild, cold-like symptoms.
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However, the increase in pediatric admissions since May, particularly in northern cities like Beijing, is mainly due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bug that often causes "walking pneumonia", is causing havoc in China.
This comes as the country faces its first winter without any COVID-19 restrictions, which some believe may be contributing to the rise in illnesses.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands has been without restrictions for some time.
An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
