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This is a respiratory illness caused by a microscopic bug called Mycoplasma pneumonia. If you contact this disease you’ll have fever. Cough, bronchitis, sore throat, headache, and malaise. A common result of this infection is pneumonia (sometimes called “ walking pneumonia” because it is usually very mild and rarely requires hospitalization). Infections of the middle ear (“otitis”) also can result. However, mild or inapparent illness may occur. Symptoms may persist for a few days to over a month.
Walking pneumonia most often affects older children and young adults, but anyone can bet it. Cases of this disease occur sporadically throughout the year, but is most common in late summer and fall.
How spread
Walking pneumonia is spread through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of infected persons when they cough and sneeze. Transmission occurs slowly. The contagious period is probably less than 10 days and occasionally longer. Symptoms generally begin 15-25 days after exposure. The symptoms generally develop slowly, over a period of two to four days.
Treatment
You can fix this problem without doctor if you have a mild case. How? Mostly by waiting it out, but you’ll get better faster if you increase your intake of vitamin C and get a lot more rest. More serious cases may need antibiotics such as erythromycin or tetracycline are affective treatments.
Prevention
There are no vaccines for the prevention of walking pneumonia and there are no reliably effective measures for control, other than avoiding those people whom you feel are infected with it.
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