Emergency department visits for pneumonia more than doubled across Canada last fall — the largest spike since COVID-19, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Young people aged five to 19 were hit hardest, with pneumonia jumping from outside the top 10 ER visit reasons in 2023-24 to No. 3 in 2024-25, behind only abdominal pain and throat/chest pain. CIHI recorded 16,489 ER visits for pneumonia in September 2024, up 119 per cent from the year before. October visits surged 132 per cent to over 24,000, and November visits climbed 122 per cent to 28,308.
Toronto pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Anna Banerji says much of the increase was likely due to “walking pneumonia” — a milder but highly contagious form caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae. She warns that while many cases resolve on their own, persistent cough, fever, or fatigue warrant medical attention, as the infection can sometimes trigger severe complications, including neurological symptoms.
Because mycoplasma bacteria lack the cell wall targeted by common antibiotics, treatment requires macrolide antibiotics like azithromycin or clarithromycin — not amoxicillin.
Public health experts caution that with school back in session and people spending more time indoors, respiratory illnesses could rise again this fall. The Lung Health Foundation says walking pneumonia tends to peak every three to seven years, so Canadians should stay alert even if last year was the apex.