Is pneumonia contagious from person to person?

Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Some of these germs do spread from person to person, so you may be contagious if you have certain types of pneumonia. … Fungal pneumonia passes from the environment to a person, but it’s not contagious from person to person

Which types of pneumonia can be contagious?

Bacterial pneumonia

You may be contagious if you have a form of bacterial pneumonia, including:

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia
Streptococcal pneumonia
walking pneumonia
chlamydial pneumonia

Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial pneumonia. You should be no longer contagious a day or two after starting antibiotics and once your fever resolves, if you had one.

Viral pneumonia

You can also be contagious if you have viral pneumonia. The same viruses that cause colds and flu can cause viral pneumonia. Other viruses that attack the respiratory system can be causes as well.

Viral pneumonia is contagious until you are feeling better and have been free of fever for several days.

Noncontagious types of pneumonia

It’s possible to have pneumonia that can’t spread to other people. Fungal pneumonia and aspiration pneumonia are examples of pneumonias that aren’t usually contagious.

Fungal pneumonia typically occurs in people that have a weakened immune system or other serious health issues. The fungi that causes this type of pneumonia is usually found in soil. You’re not generally contagious if you have fungal pneumonia. That’s because it’s caused by inhaled fungi from your environment, not spread from person to person.

Aspiration pneumonia is not contagious because it is caused by inhaling food or liquid into your lungs. This can happen in people who have had a stroke or have other neurologic conditions.