HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Doctors are seeing a rise in the number of children falling sick with “walking pneumonia,” and cases could continue to climb.

As colder months approach, the number of respiratory illnesses in children tend to go up. This year, doctors are reporting an increase in cases of “walking pneumonia.”

“There’s more cold viruses going around. And because of that, you can have some children that can progress into pneumonia, secondary to those cold viruses that started benign but just these children struggle to recover,” said Dr. Grant Saxton, a pediatrician at South Central Regional Medical Center (SCRMC).

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed the number of two to four-year-olds with “walking pneumonia” has jumped from 1% to 7% in the last six months. Saxton said it’s a mild form on pneumonia.

“It’s called that because you can still function, you can still walk around. You’re not bedridden, feeling really, really poorly. And so it has kind of a milder severity,” he explained.

If your child displays signs of labored breathing or a fever lasting more than three days, it’s important to consult a doctor.

“Sometimes, we’ll find things on their lung exam that’s concerning to us or we can kind of help tie break with chest x-rays to make sure that those lung fields are completely clear,” said Saxton.

“Walking pneumonia” can be treated with antibiotics, followed by over-the-counter medications.

“The front-line treatment will be antibiotics. We have different antibiotics, such as azithromycin, would be one of those. Those are called a MAC release. So, antibiotics are the first line of treatment. But it’s also important that they stay hydrated and get plenty of rest,” said Dr. Andrew Clark, a pharmacist at Northtown Pharmacy in Jackson

The best defense against “walking pneumonia” is handwashing and practicing good hygiene.