What Is The Incubation Period For Pneumonia?

The incubation period of pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia that has been contracted. There are a number of different types of pneumonia and the incubation periods are as follows:

• Viral pneumonia (10 - 14 days)

This type of pneumonia is caused by a number of different viruses, and these can include the flu virus, respiratory syncytial virus and herpes simplex virus. People who contract viral pneumonia are at risk of contracting bacterial pneumonia.

• Bacterial pneumonia (one to three days)

This is caused by bacteria and affects people with weaker immune systems such as elderly people and those who are malnourished. The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia include quickened breathing, fever, and shaking and heavy perspiration. Examples of bacterial pneumonia causes are chlamydophila pneumonia, and legionalla pneumonia.

• Mycoplasma Pneumonia (one to three weeks)

Mycoplasma pneumonia is potentially one of the more dangerous forms of pneumonia and is caused by both bacteria and viruses. There is no age limit with this type of pneumonia and the symptoms are different from any other type of pneumonia. The symptoms include rashes and anemia and the patients suffering from this type of pneumonia can often develop further problems such as meningitis, and encephalitis.

• Community acquired pneumonia or CAP (Three to four weeks)

CAP is another of the more serious forms of pneumonia and is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States, and the fourth in the United Kingdom. Most cases of CAP are caused by pathogens such as Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumonia.

If anybody suspects they may have symptoms of pneumonia it is advisable to seek the help of a doctor immediately, as the earlier the symptoms can be controlled the quicker the recovery process can begin.

Hi Van! Incubation period is the time between the time the pathogen enters the body and when the symptoms of the disease first develop.  MRSA pneumonia is a disease caused by having the MRSA already in your body and developing another illness that could worsen the MRSA symptoms.
Some people never develop MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) at all even though they have been exposed to it and carry it in their systems. It has been estimated that around 2% people in the community are infected with MRSA but do not show symptoms. Others may show symptoms. If a person with MRSA already in the body acquires flu or any other respiratory infection, he/she may develop MRSA pneumonia as the bacteria invade the lung that has been made weak by the respiratory infection.
Once you have the MRSA in your body, it may take from four to ten days to develop the symptoms of MRSA (not MRSA pneumonia). But then if you develop another disease of the lungs that first turns into pneumonia, then the MRSA reach the lung and cause MRSA pneumonia.
So you could say the incubation period really depends on your state of health. If you have MRSA in your body but are otherwise healthy, with no respiratory problems then you might never develop MRSA pneumonia.

Pneumonia incubation varies from person to person but it generally has an incubation period of about 1 to 3 days