It can occur when an obstruction of some kind lodges in the lungs, trapping disease microorganisms. The lungs then become plugged with fluid, filling air spaces and making breathing difficult. Tests by a physician determine whether the disease is caused by bacteria or a virus. While bacterial pneumonia can be cured with antibiotics, there is no effective treatment for viral pneumonia.
Most people recover completely from viral pneumonia as a result of immune system success.
But for infants under 1 year or adults over 65, whose immune systems are not so strong as those of other people, the disease can be fatal. Causes The most common cause of viral pneumonia , especially in children, is the respiratory syncytial virus, which belongs to a subgroup of viruses known as myxoviruses. These viruses can cause epidemics of pneumonia in young children, who do not yet have strong immune systems. Incidence Viral pneumonia is responsible for a large percentage of acute lung infections. It can also pave the way for secondary bacterial infections.