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 Classification

Pneumonia Treatment

Types of Atypical Pneumonia

Pneumonia Cause

Pneumonia Diagnosis

Walking Pneumonia versus Pneumonia

Is Sense of Smell Linked to Pneumonia?

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Pneumonia Symptoms & Risk Factors

Walking Pneumonia Versus Bronchitis

Walking Pneumonia: When to See a Doctor?

See more featured articles »

Is Walking Pneumonia Contagious?

Walking Pneumonia

Pneumonia Epidemiology

Pneumonia in Children

Who Gets Walking Pneumonia?

How is Walking Pneumonia Treated?

Pneumonia History

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

"Artificial lungs" keep a patient alive until a double lung transplantation was available

Humans can't live without lungs. But Ankit Bharat's patient did for 48 hours.

29 Jan 2026

Emerging animal viruses may pose overlooked threats to future human outbreaks

Two emerging pathogens with animal origins - influenza D virus and canine coronavirus - have so far been quietly flying under the radar, but researchers warn conditions are ripe for the viruses to spread more widely among humans.

29 Jan 2026

Study identifies genes, smoking, and obesity as pneumonia risk factors

Researchers at the University of Oulu have identified genes that increase susceptibility to pneumonia. Alongside inherited risk factors, smoking and higher body mass were also found to raise the risk of developing the disease.

27 Jan 2026

Medicare Advantage skews hospital readmission penalties

For more than a decade, hospitals have worked to help older adults avoid repeated inpatient stays, incentivized by a federal program that cuts Medicare reimbursements if hospitals have higher-than-expected rates of readmissions for people with certain conditions.

22 Jan 2026

High-dose inhaled nitric oxide could fight multidrug-resistant infections

Overuse of antibiotics has accelerated the development of bacterial resistance to conventional drugs, a global health crisis projected to result in more than 10 million deaths annually by 2050.

21 Jan 2026

Higher vitamin D levels tied to fewer hospitalization for respiratory tract infections

Severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey.

21 Jan 2026

Analyzing bacterial enzymes in pikromycin synthesis

Macrolides are an important class of antibiotics that includes drugs such as azithromycin and erythromycin, which are widely used to treat a range of infections, including pneumonia and skin infections.

21 Jan 2026

Severe vitamin D deficiency linked to higher hospitalizations for respiratory tract infections

21 Jan 2026

High-dose flu shots lower hospitalization risk in older adults

High-dose influenza vaccines may lower serious hospitalization rates in older adults, particularly those with diabetes, according to a recent Danish trial.

20 Jan 2026

Researchers discover how Mycoplasma pneumoniae acquires cholesterol from human hosts

A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae-responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections-to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body.

16 Jan 2026

Vaccines are helping older people more than we knew

Let's be clear: The primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles is that two shots provide at least 90% protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of Americans will suffer in their lifetimes, one that can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences.

14 Jan 2026

Steady decline in antibiotics for childhood respiratory infections

Norwegian study finds reduced antibiotic use for childhood respiratory infections, yet high prescriptions for ear infections call for improved guidelines.

13 Jan 2026

Gut bacteria protect mice from deadly secondary pneumonia after influenza

Select gut bacteria protect mice against post-influenza virus secondary bacterial pneumonia, according to a study published by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

12 Jan 2026

Federal hospital safety metric fails to accurately assess emergency stroke care

A new UCLA study reveals that a widely used federal hospital safety metric is fundamentally flawed when applied to emergency stroke care, potentially creating incentives that may discourage hospitals from performing lifesaving procedures for the sickest patients.

8 Jan 2026