Message Type:           Health Alert  

Status: Actual             

Severity: Moderate               

Sensitive: No             

DATE:  November 1, 2007   

TO:  Schools              

FROM: Jose T. Montero, MD, NH State Epidemiologist
State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Public Health Services
29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301-6527
603-271-0279   1-800-852-3345 Ext. 0279
Fax:  603-271-0545  TDD Access  1-800-735-2964

SUBJECT: Cluster of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Milton Area (probable Mycoplasma etiology)

NH Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) recommends:

·         Awareness of the cluster of pneumonia and the sources of information for concerned patients and parents

·         Timely reporting of suspect outbreaks or unusual cases to the NH DHHS Communicable Disease Control and Surveillance Section at 603-271-4496 (after hours 1-800-852-3345 ext.5300.

Background:

Over the past week, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) has investigated reports of several cases of pneumonia in a Milton area school. We have worked closely with the school and found that several of those cases may have been caused by the common Mycoplasma bacterium, one of the most common causes of pneumonia in children and young adults.  Mycoplasma pneumoniae is usually known as “walking pneumonia” as the illness is generally mild and does not require hospitalization. 

Mycoplasma is a common bacteria that causes up to 20% of all cases of pneumonia in the United States. The more frequent symptoms are fever, cough, malaise and headache; confirmed pneumonia occurs in 5 to 10 % of cases. Any person with these symptoms should go to their health care provider so proper diagnoses and treatment can be established. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is transmitted from person-to-person by contact with respiratory secretions.

School authorities have been fully engaged and supportive of this investigation. And, in cooperation with them, NH DHHS wants to highlight several key actions that if properly implemented by the community, will help stop the transmission of this infection as well as most respiratory infections including the common cold and the flu. NH DHHS has provided the following recommendations for schools and parents:

• Hand washing: Not only at school but at home as well.
• Cough Etiquette: Teach your child to cough into their shirtsleeves or elbows instead of their hands.
• Stay home if sick: Sick children should be kept at home and not sent to school. NH DHHS recommends keeping your child home if he/she has a cough illness until he/she has been fever free for 24 hours.
• Take your child to the health care provider if symptoms described above are present. If your child is diagnosed with pneumonia, please notify school authorities. The school will notify NH DHHS. As part of our investigation, special testing may be requested.

For more information about Mycoplasma pneumoniae, visit the CDC website at:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/mycoplasmapneum_t.htm