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Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, which affect the respiratory tract, have hit a weekly record high in Japan, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Tuesday.
Cases confirmed at about 500 specified medical institutions across the country between Nov. 11 and 17 numbered 1,363, or an average of about 2.84 patients per facility, according to the institute.
Infections are at their highest since the current methodology for gathering data was implemented in 1999, with cases in early October surpassing the previous record set in 2016 and continuing to rise, the institute said.
By prefecture, Fukui marked the highest at 8.83 patients per designated medical institution. Aomori came in second at 5.00, followed by Ibaraki at 4.92.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae are bacterial infections, the symptoms of which are a fever and persistent cough. Infections are prevalent in the fall and winter, and spread through air droplets and close contact.
Most patients gradually recover, although symptoms become more severe in some cases.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections decreased from 2020 to 2023 amid the coronavirus pandemic, presumably due to more people taking measures to avoid catching diseases such as wearing masks.
© KYODO
3 Comments
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Norm
Lots of people in my area coughing deeply and loudly — including more than a few small kids.
I wonder if “air droplets” was meant to be “water droplets in the air.”
Yrral
Pneumonia is not contagious,it a bacterial infection that develops from an weaker immune system,you can get a vaccine for many strains of pneumonia
Yrral
I was wrong, pneumonia can be spread in the air,but mostly it causes by a weak immune system,but you can get a vaccine to protect you from most strains Google Pneumonia Vaccine