Tokyo, Oct 22 (IANS): Cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, a respiratory disease caused by bacteria, in Japan have marked a record high for the third straight week, local media reported on Tuesday.

During the seven days leading up to October 13, the average number of cases reported by about 500 medical institutions nationwide was 1.95 per institution, Xinhua news agency reported quoting public broadcaster NHK, citing data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

The figure marks a rise for seven consecutive weeks and the highest-ever weekly total since the current reporting method was introduced in 1999.

By prefecture, Fukui has the highest average, with 5.67 patients per institution surveyed, followed by Aichi with five and Kyoto with 4.29, the report said.

The respiratory infection, caused by the bacterium mycoplasma pneumonia, spreads through droplets released into the air by sneezing and coughing and leads to symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue and headache.

Coughing can persist for several weeks in some cases, with some patients requiring hospitalisation due to severe pneumonia or physical weakness, the report said.

Health authorities warned that patient numbers will likely remain high as the disease spreads more easily in winter, stressing the importance of basic infection prevention measures, such as hand washing and masking.