PNEUMOCYSTIS PNEUMONIA

PNEUMOCYSTIS PNEUMONIA = Disease

Pneumocystis jirovecii (causative organism, yeast)

Pneumocystis pneumonia is caused by the yeast-like Pneumocystis jirovecii. Pneumocystis jirovecii is transmitted via respiratory droplets and can be transmitted via asymptomatic carriers. It does not causes infection in healthy people. Prior to the AIDS epidemic, pneumocystis pneumonia was relatively rare. About 30 percent of people with AIDS develop pneumocystis pneumonia each year in the United States.

Signs and Symptoms:

Three weeks to three months after infection fever, chills, fatigue, cough, difficulty breathing, chest pain.