are infections viral or bacterial?
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Answer From James M. Steckelberg, M.D. As you might think, bacterial infections are caused by bacteria, and viral infections are caused by viruses. Perhaps the most important distinction between bacteria and viruses is that antibiotic drugs usually kill bacteria, but they aren't effective against viruses.
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Viral infections are common among people of all ages but often seem to be concentrated in infants and children. Most childhood viral infections are not serious and include such diverse illnesses as colds, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea, and fever with a rash.
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Infections of the inner ear are usually viral; less commonly, the cause is bacterial. Such inner ear infections are not the same as middle ear infections, which are the type of bacterial infections common in childhood affecting the area around the eardrum.
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The main difference between bacteria and virus is that bacteria are living cells, reproducing independently and viruses are nonliving particles, requiring a host cell for their replication. Bacteria are prokaryotes found in most habitats on the Earth. They are unicellular microorganisms.
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Whether an infection is viral or bacterial, the infection can have long-term effects on the body, such as infertility or sterility, and can leave the body vulnerable to more serious diseases, such as HIV. Ultimately, untreated STDs/STIs can affect numerous organ systems in the body.
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The symptoms of a bacterial infection and a virus are often very similar—fever, muscle aches, cough, and sore throat—but they require different treatments.
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Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections. Originally, an antibiotic was a substance produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another. Synthetic antibiotics, usually chemically related to natural antibiotics, have since been produced that accomplish comparable tasks.
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Viruses are only "active" within host cells which they need to reproduce, while bacteria are single-celled organisms that produce their own energy and can reproduce on their own. Bacteria serve many vital roles in nature outside of being infectious.
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A viral fever is any fever that's caused by an underlying viral illness. A variety of viral infections can affect humans, from the common cold to the flu. A low-grade fever is a symptom of many viral infections. But some viral infections, such as dengue fever, can cause a higher fever.
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Bacterial Infections Fever is higher than one might typically expect from a virus. Fever gets worse a few days into the illness rather than improving.
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However, sometimes bacteria can enter our bodies and cause an infection. Some examples of bacterial infections include: strep throat. bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs), often caused by coliform bacteria.
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For example, if you have a bacterial infection, you will have an increase of neutrophils and a decrease in lymphocytes. Conversely, if you have a viral infection, you will have a decrease in neutrophils and an increase in lymphocytes.
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Pharyngitis is most commonly caused by viral infections such as the common cold, influenza, or mononucleosis. Viral infections don't respond to antibiotics, and treatment is only necessary to help relieve symptoms. Less commonly, pharyngitis is caused by a bacterial infection. Bacterial infections require antibiotics.
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Viral meningitis is an infection caused by viruses and bacterial meningitis is an infection caused by bacteria. What is the difference between viral and bacterial meningitis? Viral meningitis is usually less serious and goes away without treatment.
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| Ausmed. Bacteria and viruses are microbes (germs) which are very different to each other in structure and function. Despite the important structural and cultural differences, both bacteria and viruses can cause disease in similar ways: they invade and multiply within the host by evading the immune system.
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Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. Nevertheless, some doctors prescribe antibiotics for viral infections such as colds and the flu as an extra precaution, perhaps to ease the concerns of patients who think they need medicine, or to prevent a subsequent bacterial infection from arising while the body is weak.
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Vaginal infections occur when there is a virus, bacteria or fungus that has occurred in your vagina. Sexually transmitted diseases are a common cause of vaginal bacterial and viral infections in the general population. In those receiving chemotherapy, however, a common cause of infections is due to yeast or fungus.