Walking pneumonia’s peak has likely already happened in North Carolina, Willis said, but cases are still spreading. Doctors are expecting a surge in other respiratory viruses as we inch closer to late December holidays.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria, which causes walking pneumonia, spreads via respiratory droplets when a person sneezes or coughs.

Quebec’s Health Ministry says it is monitoring a rise in respiratory infections among children and teenagers in the province caused by a bacterium associated with walking pneumonia.

A mild form of pneumonia known as "walking pneumonia" is on the rise among young children and teenagers this fall. Why it matters: It's common for RSV cases to spike around this time of year, but walking pneumonia hasn't been this prevalent since before the COVID pandemic,