Pneumonia is contagious just like a cold or flu when it is caused by infectious microbes. However, pneumonia is not contagious when the cause is related to a type of poisoning like inhalation of chemical fumes.

What type of pneumonia is contagious?

Bacterial and viral forms of pneumonia are contagious. However, pneumonia caused by the inhalation of chemical irritants, fungi, or aspiration pneumonia (inhaling food or liquid) is not contagious. Contagious varieties of pneumonia are transmitted from person to person through airborne particles.

How serious is Multilobar pneumonia?

Multilobar pneumonia, as the name suggests, is a lobar pneumonia affecting multiple lobes. Patients with community-acquired multilobar pneumonia have a worse prognosis with longer admissions, more need for ventilatory support and more frequent treatment failure ¹.