Is pneumonia contagious or not This question is of interest to many people, surrounded by a person with characteristic symptoms of pathology.. In most cases, pneumonia is an infectious disease.. In general, the disease itself is not contagious, but the infection that caused the development of the inflammatory process can be transmitted from person to person..

The causative agent of pneumonia can be transmitted in different ways, including. airborne Pneumonia is a disease in which inflammation affects the lung tissue. Depending on its location, it can be right-sided, left-sided or bilateral..

Pneumonia is a fairly common disease.. Every year, about 450 million people on the planet suffer from pneumonia, while about 7 million die from this disease..

The infectiousness of pathology depends on several factors:.

form of the disease;

pathogen;

state of the human immune system.

Such forms of pneumonia as congestive (in bedridden patients), autoimmune and allergic, cannot be transmitted to another person..

Causative agents of the disease Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. The most serious forms of pneumonia are caused by a bacterial infection that can enter the lung tissue from the outside or with blood flow from other foci of inflammation..

Pneumonia often develops as a complication of colds, the causative agent of which are influenza viruses, herpes or coronaviruses..

Pneumococci In almost 80% of cases, these pathogenic microorganisms become the causative agents of pneumonia.. Most often, they provoke acute forms of the disease with respiratory manifestations in the form of a runny nose, suffocation, high fever.. They enter the human body in different ways and do not always lead to the development of the disease..

Streptococci Streptococcal pneumonia is less common than pneumococcal pneumonia and is not as severe. Bacteria are transmitted from person to person in different ways, they can live in the body for a long time without leading to serious diseases..

In most cases, bacteria lead to the development of pathology - streptococci, pneumococci, staphylococci. Most often, streptococcus causes the development of tonsillitis. But sometimes, when the immune system is weakened, these bacteria lead to pneumonia.. Streptococcal pneumonia can also be a complication of colds..

Staphylococci In rare cases, the causative agent of pneumonia is Staphylococcus aureus (hemolytic, golden). These bacteria are opportunistic pathogens that live on the mucous membranes of the mouth, stomach, intestines and genital organs..

With a decrease in immunity, bacteria can form large conglomerates, with reduced sensitivity to therapy.. Staphylococcus bacteria can enter the human body in any way..

Klebsiella There are many varieties of these enterobacteria. They are classified as conditionally pathogenic microorganisms, which reveal their pathogenic qualities only under certain conditions.. The most dangerous include:.

Type of bacteria.

Features of the course of the disease.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (Friedlander's stick, Klebsiella pneumonia).

Children are most susceptible to its effects.. Most often, this type of bacteria provokes intestinal disorders, but in some cases it causes pneumonia with quite severe symptoms..

Klebsiella oxytoca (Klebsiella oxytoca).

Rarely causes sluggish forms of pneumonia with mild symptoms.

Klebsiella ozaenae (Klebsiella ozena).

In most cases, it provokes a fetid runny nose, but when the immune system is weakened, it can lead to the development of generalized forms of pneumonia with pronounced symptoms from the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract.

Chlamydia The causative agent of atypical forms of pneumonia can be bacteria from the genus Chlamydia:.

Type of bacteria.

Features of the course of the disease.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae (chlamydia pneumoniae).

These microorganisms cause sluggish inflammation of the lungs.. The disease is not so dangerous, but quickly becomes chronic and often worsens.

Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia trachomatis).

Causes very severe disease, sometimes fatal.

Chlamydia psittaci (chlamydia psittaci).

Causes a severe form of pneumonia that is difficult to treat.

Viruses The causative agent of pneumonia can be influenza viruses, parainfluenza, adenoviruses, measles virus. Initially, the disease begins with symptoms of a cold, and then symptoms characteristic of pneumonia appear..

Viruses are among the possible causative agents of pneumonia. Often the viral form of the disease is complicated by the addition of a bacterial infection..

Factors affecting the development of the disease The following factors influence the development of pneumonia:.

decreased immunity;

advanced age of the patient;

the presence of chronic diseases of the bronchopulmonary system;

prematurity;

frequent colds;

having bad habits;

work in hazardous industries;

living in ecologically unfavorable areas;

frequent hypothermia;

lung pathology;

chest trauma.

Ways of transmission Pneumonia is contagious if a person's immune system is severely weakened.. Pathogenic microorganisms can enter the patient's body in different ways..

Respiratory route Most often, infections enter the human body through airborne droplets.. During a conversation, coughing or sneezing, microscopic droplets of biological fluids (saliva, mucus) enter the air, which may contain pathogenic microorganisms.

The most common route of entry of the pathogen into the body is respiratory. The patient is able to spread the infection immediately after the onset of the disease.. Microbes can stay in the air for a while. After a healthy person inhales them, they enter the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, take root and can cause the development of certain diseases..

The duration of the incubation period depends on the type of pathogen.. Bacterial forms of the disease are less contagious than viral forms, and 24-48 hours after the start of antibiotic therapy, the risk of infection for those around the patient is minimal.

Contact-household routeFrom person to person, microbes can be transmitted by contact. Often, infection occurs through direct contact (kissing, hugging, shaking hands).

Infectious agents can be transmitted through direct and indirect contactPathogenic microorganisms are also transmitted through indirect contact - through dishes, personal items or hygiene items.

Sexual and perinatal routeSome infections enter the human body sexually, as certain types of pathogens are localized on the mucous membranes of the genital organs.

During fetal development, infectious agents are transmitted through the placental barrier from mother to child. Babies can also become infected while passing through the birth canal..

Nosocomial pneumoniaThere is a special type of pneumonia that can be infected within the walls of a medical institution. It develops 48-72 hours after the patient is admitted to the hospital.. This applies to cases where the patient had no symptoms of pneumonia prior to hospitalization..

When infected inside the hospital, hospital-acquired pneumonia develops. The incidence of such pneumonia is approximately 20% of the total number of cases.. Most often it is observed in people who have undergone surgery on the abdominal or chest cavity and require mechanical ventilation..

In most cases, nosocomial pneumonia is caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, or Mycoplasma.. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is one of the three most common nosocomial infections..

The immune system of the patient admitted to the hospital is weakened, so pathogenic microorganisms easily penetrate inside and begin to multiply.

Pneumonia acquired in the hospital is much more severe than community-acquired pneumonia, since the microorganisms that caused it are more aggressive. At the same time, it is much more difficult to cure it, since microbes are often insensitive to most antibacterial drugs..

Signs of pneumonia The following symptoms indicate the development of the disease:.

fever: often up to 39–40 °C;

dry cough: it quickly turns into a wet. At the same time, depending on the form of the disease, transparent or purulent sputum begins to depart.;

signs of general intoxication: headache, dizziness, chills, drowsiness, fatigue, lack of appetite;

chest pain.

In some cases, the symptoms of the disease are blurred, and it can be diagnosed only after all studies have been carried out..

Prevention It is simply impossible to protect yourself from all infections, but in order to avoid the development of the disease, you must:.

follow the rules of personal hygiene;

strengthen the immune system, eat right and exercise;

to refuse from bad habits;

get vaccinated against common pathogens;

treat active diseases in time and prevent their transition to a chronic form.

Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene is an effective prevention of infection by contact Pneumonia - a contagious disease or not? The answer to this question is ambiguous. In most cases, pneumonia is not a contagious disease and is not transmitted from a sick person to others..

At the same time, the pathogenic microorganisms that caused it can easily enter the mucous membranes of other people, and if the immune system does not work at full strength, the development of pathology is quite possible..

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