Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a leading cause of death and hospitalization, costing health care systems billions of dollars and an estimated 600,000 adult deaths worldwide each year. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and the term describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections. Although all age groups may be affected, the highest rate of pneumococcal disease occurs in young children and older adults. In addition, persons suffering from a wide range of chronic conditions (eg, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and immune deficiencies are at increased risk.

Viral vs Bacterial Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which affects alveoli. This article looks at the differences between bacterial and viral pneumonia.

Pneumonia Symptoms & Risk Factors

Pneumonia Classification

Pneumonia Cause

Pneumonia in Children

Pneumonia Diagnosis

Pneumonia Treatment

Pneumonia Epidemiology

Pneumonia History

Walking Pneumonia

Is Walking Pneumonia Contagious?

Walking Pneumonia versus Pneumonia

See more featured articles »

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Walking Pneumonia Versus Bronchitis

Who Gets Walking Pneumonia?

Types of Atypical Pneumonia

How is Walking Pneumonia Treated?

Walking Pneumonia: When to See a Doctor?

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Is Sense of Smell Linked to Pneumonia?

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

Antibiotics ineffective for cough treatment in lower respiratory tract infections

Use of antibiotics provided no measurable impact on the severity or duration of coughs even if a bacterial infection was present, finds a large, prospective study of people who sought treatment in U.S. primary or urgent care settings for lower-respiratory tract infections.

15 Apr 2024

Study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 hijacks lung cells to drive COVID-19 severity

Researchers identified how SARS-CoV-2 targets and manipulates specific lung cells, using innovative techniques to trace the virus's impact on the cells' gene expression, revealing insights into early COVID-19 pathogenesis.

14 Apr 2024

Blocking polyphosphates could help treat chronic infections

Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick.

12 Apr 2024

Exploring the health secrets of cucurbits: A closer look at Cucumis and Momordica

Review investigates the health impacts of Cucumis and Momordica plants, emphasizing their potential in managing diabetes, inflammation, and cancer due to their rich bioactive compounds.

11 Apr 2024

Study reveals unexpected vulnerability of lung immune cells to SARS-CoV-2

The lung-cell type that's most susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is not the one previously assumed to be most vulnerable.

10 Apr 2024

Study evaluates the feasibility of discontinuing CLL specialist care

A study published today in Blood Advances showed that among patients in Denmark who had slow-growing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with no symptoms and a low risk for ever needing treatment, those who stopped seeing their doctors for specialized follow-up had fewer hospital visits, fewer infections, and similar survival after three years compared to those who continued to undergo specialized follow-up.

4 Apr 2024

Study links pneumonia transmission in seniors to contact with young children

New research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) finds that pneumonia-causing bacteria are common in the over 60s and that contact with pre-school and young school-aged children appears to be the most important factor in the onward transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) to the over 60s.

3 Apr 2024

Weight loss drugs associated with increased risk of aspiration pneumonia following endoscopy

New research from Cedars-Sinai suggests people who are scheduled for certain medical procedures should stop taking popular weight loss drugs in the days or weeks prior to avoid complications.

27 Mar 2024

Boosting butyrate-producing gut bacteria lowers hospitalization rates for infections

A study of two large European patient cohorts has found that for every 10% increase in butyrate-producing bacteria in a patient's gut, the risk of hospitalization for any infection falls by between 14 and 25% across two large national cohorts.

22 Mar 2024

Generative artificial intelligence model can easily design billions of novel antibiotics

Researchers at McMaster University and Stanford University have invented a new generative artificial intelligence model which can design billions of new antibiotic molecules that are inexpensive and easy to build in the laboratory.

22 Mar 2024

UCLA researchers develop promising vaccine against deadly melioidosis bacterium

In a mouse study, UCLA researchers tested a vaccine against the bacterium that causes melioidosis and found it was highly protective against the disease, which is endemic in many tropical areas, causing approximately 165,000 cases with 89,000 fatalities around the world each year.

22 Mar 2024

Researchers discover the lungs communicate directly with the brain to induce sickness symptoms

University of Calgary researchers have discovered the lungs communicate directly with the brain when there is an infection.

21 Mar 2024

Using whole genome sequencing to identify non-culturable Legionella

Legionnaires' disease (LD), a rare and severe type of pneumonia, is a respiratory infection caused by species of Legionella bacteria.

21 Mar 2024

SNFists enhance end-of-life care quality for nursing home residents

Specialized nursing facility clinicians, or SNFists, may decrease the likelihood of nursing home residents experiencing stressful hospitalizations and improve the quality of life in their last days, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine.

15 Mar 2024

Rapid, easy-to-use diagnostic test could save more lives from melioidosis

Globally, more than half of patients die after infection with the neglected tropical disease, melioidosis, often before they are diagnosed.

13 Mar 2024

Exclusive: Social Security chief vows to fix ‘cruel-hearted’ overpayment clawbacks

The Social Security Administration's new chief is promising to overhaul the agency's system of clawing back billions of dollars it claims was wrongly sent to beneficiaries, saying it “just doesn't seem right or fair."

13 Mar 2024

Study highlights impact of government vaccine recommendations and direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising

A new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst economist reveals the value of government vaccine recommendations to drugmakers, as well as potential benefits of advertising pharmaceuticals directly to consumers -; a practice that is banned in every country apart from the United States and New Zealand.

13 Mar 2024

Research uncovers mechanical explanation for instability in the lungs of ARDS patients

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities may have discovered a mechanical explanation for instability observed in the lungs in cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), particularly in the aftermath of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 or pneumonia.

12 Mar 2024

Rapid molecular testing transforms treatment for community-acquired pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs, typically resulting from an infection with viruses or bacteria.

7 Mar 2024

WSU researchers find potential ‘trojan horse’ for treating difficult bacterial infections

Bacteria can be tricked into sending death signals to stop the growth of their slimy, protective homes that lead to deadly infections, a new study demonstrates.

5 Mar 2024