Pope Francis, who is spending his sixth day in hospital for treatment of a respiratory infection, is alert and ate breakfast on Wednesday, the Vatican said in its latest update on the pontiff’s fragile health.

Pope Francis "joked around" with Giorgia Meloni after spending a "tranquil" fifth night in hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Italy's prime minister has said.

Pope Francis was in jovial mood when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni popped in to visit him in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where he is fighting off pneumonia in both lungs, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Thursday.