Pune: After a brief dip in respiratory illnesses in Jan, paediatricians across the city have reported a rise in pneumonia and severe respiratory infections among children in the past two weeks.Doctors said the surge is driven by a combination of seasonal viral infections, construction dust, allergens and secondary bacterial infections. The widening day-night temperature gap is also most likely contributing to the increase in cases of respiratory infections, the doctors said.India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows Pune’s diurnal temperature range widening from around 12.7 degrees on Jan 30 (maximum temperature of 30.9°C, and minimum of 18.2°C) to nearly 17 degrees on Feb 6 (30.3°C/13.8°C). Dr Sagar Lad, senior neonatologist and paediatric intensivist at Jehangir Hospital and Sahyadri Hospital, said respiratory infections dropped for around two weeks but then rose again. He said pneumonia cases are also increasing. “Pneumonia cases usually rise when winter intensifies, but this year, the sharp contrast between warm days and cold nights is likely increasing viral and atypical bacterial infections, leading to pneumonia. We are seeing many children with prolonged fever and cough linked to adenovirus and mycoplasma infections,” Dr Lad said.He added that OPDs were witnessing a steady flow of children with prolonged cough and cold symptoms, and hospitalisations for pneumonia rose by about 50% to 60% in recent days. Three to four children are currently in ICU with severe pneumonia and are on respiratory support, he said.Dr Deepali Ambike, head of paediatrics at Postgraduate Institute, YCM Hospital, Pimpri, said seasonal transition and allergens played a role. “We are in a transition phase between winter and summer. This is the season of pollination and flowering, so exposure to allergens is increasing,” she said. “Whenever there is a seasonal shift, viral infections tend to rise, and dry weather helps viruses multiply.”In many cases, pneumonia is developing as a secondary infection, she added. “Most children initially present with viral infections. The viral illness suppresses immunity, allowing bacteria to enter the body and cause pneumonia. We are seeing bacterial pneumonia caused by organisms such as Klebsiella, Haemophilus influenzae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.”Dr Ambike added that out of the 39 admissions in the PICU at the YCM Hospital in January, 16 were respiratory cases.Paediatrician Dr Anay Deshmukh said, “Feb is always a month of variable temperatures. Days are warm and nights are cold, and this fluctuation increases the frequency of cough and cold among children.”However, he said construction dust is a major contributor. “Almost every parent mentions road work or building construction near their homes. Continuous exposure to dust increases airway irritation and allergic tendency, making children more vulnerable to both bacterial and viral invasion,” he said. “In the past month, we saw several respiratory infections turning bacterial, with some children requiring ICU care.“He added that some children were deteriorating quickly. “If symptoms are ignored for even two to three days, the illness progresses rapidly in some children, who then require ICU admission.” Dr Amita Kaul, head of paediatrics at Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital, said doctors were seeing more complicated pneumonia cases, which required advanced treatment and even surgery. “Right now, the main viruses circulating are metapneumovirus and parainfluenza,” Kaul said.She added that bacterial pneumonia is also becoming more severe. “Streptococcus pneumoniae is causing more complicated infections, including pus collection in the chest cavity. In the past month, we operated on five to six children because the infection did not respond to routine treatment and required video-assisted thoracic surgery.”
