At an isolated weather station in the central United States, a technician emerges from a small brick shed grasping a balloon. It's not just any birthday party balloon, mind you, but a massive, white sphere more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter.
Most frequently, the lung abscess arises as a complication of aspiration pneumonia caused by mouth anaerobes. The patients who develop lung abscess are predisposed to aspiration and commonly have periodontal disease.
Anaerobic bacteria are bacteria that do not need oxygen to live. Anaerobic bacteria that infect the lungs can cause abscesses, pneumonia, purulent pleurisy, and dilated lung bronchi. Acne can be cause by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of anaerobic bacteria.