is pneumonia contagious?

With Dori and Mike's problems, it occurred to me - can you pass it back and forth? Or do you both have the same sensitivities to the virus?

Since the vaccine is only recommended for certain ages/immunity levels, I would imagine that the risk varies.

herefishy wrote:With Dori and Mike's problems, it occurred to me - can you pass it back and forth? Or do you both have the same sensitivities to the virus?

Some colds/flus seem to target certain areas. They also leave you open to opportunistic bacteria in areas where you are weak. My father caught my cold and was put on antibiotics immediately to protect his heart - not from the cold virus - but from anything else while his immune system is busy with the cold.

I think the answer is yes, you can pass it back & forth. I say that with regards to the flu my family all 'shared' a year ago. I was the only member who had the flu shot, got only a very mild case while the rest of the family kept it 'rolling on' for about 6-8 weeks. Pneumonia can be either viral or bacterial, I would think either could be passed back & forth.

Here is some information on pneumonia:

Is Pneumonia Contagious?
People with pneumonia can transmit their germs to others. However, in most cases, the germs don't cause pneumonia; rather, they cause a milder infection, such as the common cold. In theory, the contagious period for pneumonia lasts about two weeks, although a person tends to be most contagious when symptoms are at their worst -- which is usually around day two to four of the infection.
How Contagious Is Pneumonia?
A person with either viral or bacterial pneumonia is contagious. However, that person's germs are more likely to cause an upper respiratory infection (such as the common cold or the flu) in another person than pneumonia.

Let's explain. Many of the viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia are the same ones that cause upper respiratory infections. These germs are usually found in the mouth and nose of the infected person. They can be spread easily to another person, either through the air or by touching a contaminated surface. Most often, they enter the person's body through the mouth, nose, or eyes.

When this happens, a battle begins. The person's immune system tries to kill the germs, while the germs try to multiply. The germs also try to spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs and blood. In most cases, however, the body prevents this, so if a person does develop symptoms, they are usually limited to where the infection entered the body (see Cold and Flu Symptoms).

Why Do Some People Get Pneumonia and Others Don't?
While the body has an advanced system for getting rid of potentially harmful substances that make their way into the lungs, it is not perfect. In some cases, so many bacteria or viruses get into the lungs that the defense systems are simply overwhelmed.

In other cases, certain diseases can make the system unable to function as well as normal. This can be from chronic diseases like diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or diseases that affect the immune system, such as HIV or AIDS. Other times, the particular bacteria or virus is just so potent that the body can't handle it.

With any of these situations, a person has a greater risk of developing pneumonia.

Pneumonia
is a specific condition that can develop from many sources[A].

Some of the causes could be contagious but not all. And not everyone would develop pneumonia from the contagious pathogens.

Two things interest me about this issue at this time. First chronic lower respiratory diseases are the third leading cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control. Second, as has happened about every seven years for the past twenty one years, I got a nasty lung bug this winter (gurgling down there, cough, stuff needing to be moved out, and limited energy). I have learned that if you rest more, make sure you do light exercise every day (I actually bought a tread mill so I could do this away from the cold air which is not good for the condition), keep hydrated, and eat well the condition will heal in about four to eight weeks as it has.

That said it would probably be good to read the full article[A].

[A] From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung affecting primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli.[1][2] It is usually caused by infection with viruses or bacteria and less commonly other microorganisms, certain drugs and other conditions such as autoimmune diseases.[1][3]

Typical symptoms include a cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing.[4] Diagnostic tools include x-rays and culture of the sputum. Vaccines to prevent certain types of pneumonia are available. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Pneumonia presumed to be bacterial is treated with antibiotics. If the pneumonia is severe, the affected person is, in general, admitted to hospital.

[1] McLuckie, [editor] A. (2009). Respiratory disease and its management. New York: Springer. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-84882-094-4.
[2] Leach, Richard E. (2009). Acute and Critical Care Medicine at a Glance (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 1-4051-6139-6. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
[3] Jeffrey C. Pommerville (2010). Alcamo's Fundamentals of Microbiology (9th ed.). Sudbury MA: Jones & Bartlett. p. 323. ISBN 0-7637-6258-X.
[4] Ashby, Bonnie; Turkington, Carol (2007). The encyclopedia of infectious diseases (3rd ed.). New York: Facts on File. p. 242. ISBN 0-8160-6397-4. Retrieved 2011-04-21.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

Other factor scan contribute to infection, like asthma, untreated allergies, and exposure to environmental toxins.
In my case, allergies have played a large part in promoting both upper and lower respiratory infections.
I used to have colds and bronchitis quite frequently, developing into pneumonia at least twice.
Since beginning to take an antihistamine about 20 years ago, I have been sick only rarely, and then usually quite mild.
My thought: allergies had been taxing my immune system so I was unable to effectively repel common pathogens.