the actual virus that causes a person’s pneumonia may be contagious but exposure to that virus may not show up as pneumonia in the next person. there is no one virus that only causes pneumonia. any of the hundreds of respiratory viruses can do it. as a matter of fact the exposed person may not get sick at all or the same virus may show up as pink eye (conjunctivitis) a viral rash sore throat an ear infection or just a plain old cold. viruses are full of nice surprises.
is viral pneumonia contagious?