There has been a surge in pneumonia in China
World-wide approach to winter surges in the presence of atopic dermatitis: Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in humans and animals
Winter surges are always a challenge, but health-care systems in China are better placed to mitigate them now than they were before the pandemic, says Christine Jenkins, a respiratory physician at the UNSW Sydney in, Australia. She says that better national disease-monitoring systems, diagnostic tests and measures for impeding transmission and preventing deaths are now in place.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria congregate around the endings of certain sensory nerves in the skin and release an itch-inducing enzyme called V8. Humans have a normal Microbiome but it can also be a cause of infections. The bacteria are particularly prevalent in people with atopic dermatitis, or eczema. The medication made the mice less itchy, due to blocking nerve cells from interacting with V8. “Hopefully, this understanding will translate into new treatment options helping to tackle the misery of itch and eczema,” says dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.
Why does COVID-19 leave China? The case of M. pneumoniae in Beijing, a case study by computational biologist Francois Balloux
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However, the Chinese wave of illness differs from that seen in other countries. Some nations grappled with flu and RSV infections during their post-COVID winter surges, but in China, M. pneumoniae infections have been common. This is surprising because bacterial infections are often opportunistic and take hold after viral infections, says Cowling.
Nationwide lockdowns and other measures implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 prevented seasonal pathogens from circulating, giving people less opportunity to build up immunity against these microorganisms, a phenomenon known as ‘immunity debt’, said Francois Balloux, a computational biologist at University College London, in a statement to the UK Science Media Centre. “Since China experienced a far longer and harsher lockdown than essentially any other country on Earth, it was anticipated that those ‘lockdown exit’ waves could be substantial in China,” said Balloux.
Although pneumonia caused by the bacterium is usually treated with antibiotics known as macrolides, an overreliance on these drugs has led to the pathogen developing resistance. Resistance rates for M. pneumoniae in Beijing are between 70% and 90%, according to studies. This resistance may be contributing to this year’s high levels of hospitalization from M. pneumoniae because it can slow down the recovery process from the disease.
If the infections are caused by known pathogens, it’s important to monitor them closely to prevent a serious outbreak of disease. She says that we are in a different situation than the one that COvid-19 was in.
A study by a University College London’s Computational biologist, Francois Balloux, has found that infections with Mycobacterium pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes pneumonia, are increasing in China. “Since China experienced a far longer and harsher lockdown than essentially any other country on Earth…it was anticipated that those ‘lockdown exit’ waves could be substantial in China,” Balloux said.