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

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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

New guidelines aim to improve diagnosis and treatment of mycoplasma pneumoniae in children

The Chinese Medical Association has released new guidelines for diagnosing and treating Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children.

7 Apr 2025

New antibody research sparks hope for better whooping cough vaccines

Whooping cough, or pertussis, was once a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and worldwide before the introduction of vaccines in the 1940s.

7 Apr 2025

New insights into bacterial defense mechanisms could help combat antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a global health challenge that could overtake cancer mortality within a few decades.

4 Apr 2025

New drug strategy targets Staphylococcus aureus toxin to treat pneumonia

Pneumonia caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most dangerous infections that can occur in hospital.

2 Apr 2025

AI predicts bacterial resistance to antibiotics with high accuracy

An AI model trained on large amounts of genetic data can predict whether bacteria will become antibiotic-resistant.

2 Apr 2025

Montana may start collecting immunization data again amid US measles outbreak

When epidemiologist Sophia Newcomer tries to evaluate how well Montana might be able to ward off the measles outbreak spreading across the U.S., she doesn't have much data to work with.

1 Apr 2025

UTA expert discusses the latest developments of measles outbreak in Texas

Measles is a highly contagious disease that was declared eliminated from the U.S. by the World Health Organization 25 years ago due to the success of vaccination efforts.

28 Mar 2025

Report shows alarming measles resurgence in Europe and US

A recent report shows cases of measles across the World Health Organization's European Region, which includes the UK, are the highest they've been for more than 25 years. At the same time, large outbreaks of measles in the US have led to the first measles deaths there since 2015.

26 Mar 2025

Funding cuts endanger decades of progress in reducing child deaths and stillbirths

The number of children dying globally before their fifth birthday declined to 4.8 million in 2023, while stillbirths declined modestly, still remaining around 1.9 million, according to two new reports released today by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).

25 Mar 2025

Long-term inhaled corticosteroids linked to increased health risks in COPD patients

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly prescribed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not recommended as first-line treatment unless patients have asthma/COPD overlap or frequent exacerbations.

24 Mar 2025

High-fat diet impairs neutrophil function in obesity

A new study in The Journal of Immunology reveals how a high-fat diet may impair the immune system's ability to respond to infection by impacting the function of neutrophils, one of the first immune cells to respond to bacteria or viruses.

20 Mar 2025

A global movement to address the health impacts of air pollution

In an unprecedented show of unity, more than 47 million health professionals, patients, advocates, representatives from civil society organizations, and individuals worldwide have signed a resounding call for urgent action to reduce air pollution and to protect people's health from its devastating impacts.

18 Mar 2025

Denoised ultra-low dose CT offers safe pneumonia diagnosis for immunocompromised patients

Denoised ultra-low dose CT can effectively diagnose pneumonia in immunocompromised patients using only 2% of the radiation dose of standard CT, according to a study published today in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

13 Mar 2025

Gut microbiota impacts pneumococcal vaccine response in immunodeficient individuals

Gut microbiota may be the key factor explaining why certain individuals do not respond well to the pneumococcal vaccine-a bacterium that can cause various diseases, such as pneumonia.

13 Mar 2025

Night shifts and sleep debt linked to higher infection risk in nurses

Researchers determine how sleep duration, sleep debt, and shift work impact the risk of infections among Norwegian nurses.

13 Mar 2025

Measles cases surge in Europe amid vaccine gaps

Data presented in the monthly measles and rubella update by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicate ongoing transmission of measles across a number of countries in EU/EEA, with a steep rise in cases reported during 2024.

11 Mar 2025

Shift work and sleep debt increase infection risk in nurses

A new study examining the effects of sleep patterns and shift work on the immune system has found that sleep debt and night shifts increase the risk of several common infections in nurses.

10 Mar 2025

Specialized LLMs can outperform traditional methods in forecasting postoperative risks

Millions of Americans undergo surgery each year. After surgery, preventing complications like pneumonia, blood clots and infections can be the difference between a successful recovery and a prolonged, painful hospital stay – or worse.

4 Mar 2025

Millions suffer from lack of access to safe medical oxygen globally

Six out of every ten people globally lack access to safe medical oxygen, resulting in hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year and reducing quality of life for millions more, an international report co-authored by the University of Auckland has found.

4 Mar 2025

New CRISPR-based test enhances diagnosis of life-threatening fungal infection

Tulane University researchers have developed a CRISPR-based test that diagnoses Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) - a life-threatening fungal infection primarily affecting children and immunocompromised patients - more quickly and less invasively, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

3 Mar 2025