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HEALTH&FITNESS
310
November14
Walking
“Walkingpneumonia”may sound
like something out of a zombie
flick, but trust us – although it
makes sufferers a bit miserable,
mycoplasma is actually the
mildest form of pneumonia.
International Medical Clinic’s
DR GINA DAHEL explains the
illness, how it spreads and what
we can do to reduce our risk of
catching it.
What exactly is mycoplasma?
Mycoplasma infection is a respiratory
illness caused by
mycoplasma
pneumoniae
, a microscopic bacterial
organism. The infection is contagious; it
is spread through contact with droplets
from the noses and throats of infected
people, especially when they cough
and sneeze.
Though the infection is known in
medical terms as “atypical pneumonia”,
as the disease differs frommore serious
pneumonia cases caused by typical
bacteria, and “community-acquired
pneumonia”, it’s more commonly called
“walking pneumonia”, since most
patients are able to function quite
normally.
Watch Out
Pneumonia
By Amy Greenburg