Viruses vs Bacteria

Although viruses and bacteria can cause illnesses that can range from mild to severe, there are significant distinctions in how they infect as well as structural adaptation. Despite the fact that viruses and bacteria are too small to see with the naked eye, they can cause illnesses that are difficult to treat. Bacteria are considered single-celled creatures. Bacteria can also exist independently, whether outside or inside the body of another organism. The vast majority of bacteria have no negative impact on the host organism’s body. Humans have countless bacteria both inside and on the exterior of their bodies, with the majority being in the gut. The bacteria in the gut are instrumental in aiding the process of digestion (Sweeney, Hamon & Cossart, 2016).

On the other hand, viruses do not have cells and are quite smaller. Unlike bacteria, viruses need a host which could be an animal or a human to multiply. They cannot live outside the body of the host like bacteria. When a virus causes infection, it, first of all, enters the healthy cells of the host organism and then starts the multiplication process.

Viral infection vs Bacterial infections

The infections caused by bacteria include; ear infection, strep throat, whooping cough and the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Viral infections also include flu, common cold, bronchitis, most coughs, HIV/AIDS, and chickenpox. The illness which is known as the bacterial infection is solely caused by bacteria whereas viruses cause the viral infections (Health direct, 2016).

Treatment

The treatment of bacterial infections is done using antibiotics. The antibiotics not only kill the bacteria, but they also stall their multiplication process. The growing problem of resistance to antibiotics has doctors prescribe the use of antibiotics only under severe infections (Sweeney, Wong & Khatri, 2016). The treatment of viral infection may include the application of paracetamol that aids in the reduction of pain. Another approach is managing the symptoms. Such symptoms include warm fluids that resemble that of chicken pox or consumption of honey to manage the symptoms of a cough. Also, the viral infection is treated by the stoppage of the process of reproduction with the use of antiviral medicines. Another treatment plan is the prevention of the chances of the disease striking. Likewise, people may just get the vaccine for HIV/AIDS and flu with the objective of preventing infection.

Some of the bacteria can be benign whereas virtually all the viruses cause infection whenever they come into contact with the host organism. Most of the infections of the viruses such as HIV/ Aids occurs through the exchange of body semen, blood, and vaginal secretions while the bacterial infection takes place when a person comes in contact with the bacteria causing the bad disease.

Proper Identification

Appropriate diagnosis and identification of the suitable treatment of the viral or bacterial is highly commendable and recommended. The medics should be cognizant of the fact that bacterial and viral infection exhibit similar symptoms. Therefore, the doctor should carry out a comprehensive culture test for the patients’ blood, stool and urine so that the bugs can be identified via a microscope. After the identification, the doctor can then prescribe the appropriate anti-microbial agent. Misdiagnosis can lead to a wrong prescription. The body gets resistant to antibiotics when the doctor prescribes the use of antibiotics for bacterial infection yet the patient is suffering from a viral infection.

References

Healthdirect. (2016). Differences between bacterial and viral infection. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/bacterial-vs-viral-infection

Pereira, J. M., Hamon, M. A., & Cossart, P. (2016). A lasting impression: epigenetic memory of bacterial infections?. Cell host & microbe, 19(5), 579-582

Sweeney, T. E., Wong, H. R., & Khatri, P. (2016). Robust classification of bacterial and viral infections via integrated host gene expression diagnostics. Science translational medicine, 8(346), 346ra91-346ra91.