What is Mycoplasma Pneumonia?

• This bacteria, as scientists know, belongs to the Mycoplasma family and causes pneumonia. It is the bacterial agent that causes the most severe pneumonia in the community after pneumococcus.
• Common symptoms of infection are cough, fever and respiratory problems.
• Although children and young adults are most susceptible to this bacterial infection, it can affect people of all ages.
• The bacteria is spread through droplets or close contact, and the incubation period is usually one to three weeks.
• Although Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections occur year-round, they are most common in the summer and fall.
  
  How big is the increase?
  
• Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, these bacteria caused periodic epidemic waves approximately every 3 to 7 years, with the last occurring in late 2019-early 2020 in many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia.
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae has re-emerged this summer and the outbreak has increased significantly since early fall.
• The first warning came from China, where respiratory infections, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, have risen markedly in recent weeks.

• Other Asian countries such as South Korea have seen similar increases.
• An increase in these infections has recently been reported in Europe, including France, the Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands and Ireland.
  The number of cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae outbreak in France “since the beginning of autumn” exceeds the number of cases reported in 2022 and 2019, the French health authority explained on Thursday. ” condition.
• In Denmark, the 541 cases registered last week represented three times the number registered five weeks ago, indicating that “epidemic levels” had been reached, the SSI health authority said.

  Increased risk

• Some scientists believe that this outbreak of bacteria and other germs is one of the consequences of the closure and cessation of isolation measures, and distancing and protective measures against the Covid pandemic.
• Cécile Pepierre, head of the department of bacteriology at the Bordeaux University Hospital, told Agence France-Presse: “We expected this return. For at least four years, no Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections have been recorded. We were very surprised by this bacteria. Viruses such as influenza and syncytial virus respiratory syndrome and other bacteria. Will not appear again.”
• Several members of the European Mycoplasma Pneumonia Surveillance Group opined in an article published by the journal “Lancet Microbe” that “the re-emergence of Covid-19 long after the end of containment measures is remarkable”. of countries.
• The scientists explained that the herd’s immunity to this bacteria has decreased since the recent outbreak, and that there is a special feature unique to Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
• Cécile Pepiard explained that they are “less contagious bacteria than other viruses or other types of respiratory bacteria, and they reproduce more slowly.”

  What is the risk?

• For the most part, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are benign.
• It is diagnosed after ruling out other causes such as bronchitis, flu, covid or more serious pneumonia. In some cases, PCR testing may be performed to rule out the possibility of multiple other causes.
• Some rare complications of mycoplasma pneumonia (exacerbation of asthma, etc.), or its various manifestations (skin, neuropathy, etc.) require hospitalization, and sometimes intensive care may be required. This is what happened to children and some adults in recent weeks.

  What is the treatment?

• Mycoplasma pneumoniae is easily treated with antibiotics, especially macrolides including azithromycin, confirmed the World Health Organization in a report on respiratory infections in China.
• However, attention should be paid to monitoring the presence of antibiotic resistance, especially with the current wave that may increase.
• “Before Covid, in Asia, it was unreasonable to prescribe antibiotics, 80 percent of mycoplasma pneumonia strains were resistant in China, more than 90 percent in Japan. In France, antibiotic resistance did not exceed 10,” said Cecile Peppiard.

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Further

Reuters and the Wall Street Journal quoted an Israeli official as saying Israel is willing to negotiate a ceasefire and prisoners held by Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip, but fighting continues.

The Washington-based official told Reuters that Israel was willing to offer additional pauses and could hold talks while the fighting continued.

Freeing the largest possible number of prisoners is a “priority” for Israel, he said, adding that “we have learned the lessons from our operations in northern Gaza and are applying them.”

The Israeli official added – according to the agency report – that Israel was working on a plan to minimize civilian casualties in any operation in southern Gaza, as he said.

Reuters cited a US official – described as a senior – that the US was working with Israel “on a plan to minimize harm to civilians in any operation south of Gaza”.

In turn, the Wall Street Journal quoted a U.S. official as saying that Israel had pledged to carry out “highly targeted” military action, which it described as aimed at minimizing civilian casualties and damage to buildings and other infrastructure.

Armistice extension

In this regard, Qatar – which has played a key role in mediation efforts – has said that negotiations with the Israelis and Palestinians to return to the ceasefire are still ongoing, but renewed Israeli bombardment of Gaza is complicating mediation efforts.

For its part, the Wall Street Journal quoted Egyptian officials as saying that Egypt and Qatar’s mediators failed to reach a breakthrough on a ceasefire in Gaza yesterday Friday, and mediators are expected to resume talks today. They stumbled upon the background of deciding whom the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) would release later.

Officials said – according to the newspaper – that Hamas wants Israel to release its remaining women and children, and that the movement is offering to release the bodies of dead and elderly prisoners.

The ceasefire, which began on November 24, has been extended twice, and Israel said it could continue if Hamas released 10 prisoners each day, but mediators could not find a formula for freeing more prisoners, including Israeli soldiers.

A Palestinian official said the ceasefire broke down after Israel demanded the release of female soldiers detained by Hamas.

Back to the bombing of Gaza page

As soon as the cease-fire expired on Friday, Israel returned to a violent bombardment of the Gaza Strip, killing more than 240 Palestinians and injuring hundreds more within hours.

Yesterday, the Israeli occupation dropped leaflets in the eastern parts of Khan Yunis, ordering the evacuation of residents of 4 towns, not to the rest of the town as happened before, but to the southern town of Rafah.

Israel released a link to a map dividing Gaza into hundreds of zones, which it said would be used to determine safe zones in the future.

Despite this, Israel continues to bombard Rafah and other areas in the south, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans have taken refuge from fighting in the north. Doctors and witnesses said the blasts were intense yesterday in Khan Younis and Rafah.

Genocide and ethnic cleansing

For his part, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a press conference in California that “we will continue to work with Israel, Egypt and Qatar towards the return of peace”, blaming the Hamas movement.

The Wall Street Journal quoted a US official as saying that Israel has pledged to carry out a more targeted military operation aimed at reducing civilian casualties and damage to buildings and other infrastructure.

The official said that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli wartime government about how long the war would last and had not received a clear answer.

The officials explained International pressure could force Israel to halt its operations as early as this year, especially if civilian casualties continue to be high, a timetable Israel does not accept.

Hamas accused Washington of green-lighting a “war” on Israel. Genocide and ethnic cleansing.” He said in a statement, “Today you shamelessly repeat Zionist lies …
Hamas takes responsibility for resuming the war and not extending the humanitarian peace.

Meanwhile, Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Reuters that Washington must pressure Israel, “We must push Israel to realize that this is not just a military conflict, but a conflict of hearts and minds. People in the world and people in the United States.” “.