Pune: A significant rise in pneumonia cases affecting children, particularly those with severe complications like pleural effusion (fluid in the chest), has raised concerns among medical professionals across the city, with some doctors reporting about 50% increase in such cases.
The medical practitioners said the number of cases was significantly higher than the same period last year and many patients requiring hospitalisation for advanced treatment.
Dr Pradeep Suryawanshi, honorary director of the department of paediatrics and neonatology at Sahyadri Hospitals, confirmed the trend and told TOI, “We are seeing a worrying trend of severe pneumonia cases, even among children who have received the pneumococcal vaccine. The infection is particularly aggressive, causing fluid accumulation in the chest cavity. Some affected children haven’t received the vaccine at all, which might be contributing to the severity.”
Medical experts suspected Streptococcus pneumoniae as the primary pathogen behind these cases. “Incomplete vaccination coverage across the population appears to be a significant factor in the spread of this bacterial infection,” an expert said.
Dr Sagar Lad, senior neonatologist and paediatric intensivist at Jehangir and Sahyadri hospitals, said pneumonia cases were usually not reported during the summer season. “Night temperatures have been quite low lately, even though daytime temperatures remain high. Pneumonia is ongoing, and for the past month, we have been seeing complicated cases with fluid accumulation in the chest. Tests have detected Streptococcus pneumoniae. I have had 5-6 such cases. Pneumonia is not typically a summer illness, so this is unusual.”
He said, “Though a vaccine is available for protection, we don’t yet know which serotype of Streptococcus is circulating and whether the vaccine is providing protection against it. Some patients are not vaccinated because the pneumococcal vaccine was not included in govt’s immunisation schedule earlier.”
Dr Lad said compared to the winter of 2023, he was seeing a nearly 50% increase in cases now.
Dr Amita Kaul, head of paediatrics at Surya Mother and Child Super Specialty Hospital, said, “There has been a noticeable surge in cases of complicated pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, though identifying the exact reason remains challenging. Post-Covid pandemic, advancements in diagnostic techniques, particularly PCR, have made it easier to detect the causative bacteria. However, attributing this rise solely to incomplete vaccination would be premature without determining the serotype of the infecting strain.”
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