Mycoplasma Pneumiae (Walking Pneumonia)

• Bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae can cause respiratory tract infections.
• These infections are generally mild but sometimes can be severe.
• Most will recover without medicine, but some people need antibiotics to get better.
• Call a healthcare provider about difficulty breathing or symptoms that concern you.

Symptoms

It can take 1 to 4 weeks for symptoms to appear after someone's been exposed to the bacteria. Symptoms can last for several weeks.

Some infected people may have no symptoms.

Symptoms depend on the type of infection.

Chest cold symptoms

Common symptoms include:

• Feeling tired
• Fever
• Headache
• Slowly worsening cough
• Sore throat

Younger children may have different symptoms

Instead of chest cold symptoms, children younger than 5 years old may have:

• Diarrhea
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Vomiting
• Watery eyes
• Wheezing

Pneumonia symptoms

People with pneumonia caused by M. pneumoniae can seem better than expected for someone with a lung infection. With mild symptoms, people may not stay home or in bed. Thus, the phrase "walking pneumonia" was coined.

Common symptoms include:

• Cough
• Feeling tired
• Fever and chills
• Shortness of breath

Complications

While uncommon, serious complications can occur that require hospital care.

M. pneumoniae infections can cause or make the following conditions worse:

• Asthma attacks or new asthma symptoms
• Serious pneumonia