Norway sees rise in pneumonia

Norway sees rise in pneumonia
An increasing number of people in Norway are developing an atypical form of pneumonia, the Institute of Public Health says.
Reported incidents of Mycoplasma Pneumonia have reached up to 25 percent in southern and western parts.
“We are close to calling it a mild epidemic and there’s no sign of a decline. We expect many cases this winter, and are advising doctors to think about the possibility of this form of pneumonia regarding their patients,” Dr Karin Rønning at the Institute of Public Health tells The Foreigner.
10 to 20 percent of the population in eastern, mid, and northern Norway have developed the illness, caused by the Mycoplasma bacteria. Denmark has also seen a rise in the number of cases recently.
The incubation period is three weeks, and symptoms resemble those of an ordinary cold.
“People can get pains in their muscles, headaches, a mild fever, sore throat, before starting to suffer from a dry cough. Other features are a shortness of breath after having walked up the stairs, and feeling moderately ill on-and-off. This could last for some weeks,” she says.
According to Dr Rønning, “It’s not a serious disease but some people develop pneumonia. You should go to your doctor if you get a pain in your chest. Several antibiotics can be used to treat patients.”
Health authorities recommend a course of Erythromycin or Doxycycline for between 7 and 10 days.
Mycoplasma Pneumonia is not considered to be very contagious and is only transmitted via close contact. Infection can be avoided by avoiding being near those who are ill and washing hands thoroughly.

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