Bacteria and viruses both fall into the category of “germs” – microscopic creatures that live practically everywhere you look in the environment.
Most of these critters are harmless or, indeed, helpful to us. However, there are a small minority which can cause damage, and an even smaller number that are life-threatening.
However, to really understand infections, you need to know the differences in the way that bacteria and viruses operate. While they are both small, they are about as similar as chalk and cheese.
The Differences Between Viruses And Bacteria
You can think of bacteria as being similar to the individual cells in our body except these creatures have the ability to survive by themselves. Bacteria have a central control region, called a nucleus, an outer skin, various structures that generate energy, propellers and the ability to digest food in their environment. They are like tiny, sophisticated self-replicating machines with all of the necessary components to function as independent lifeforms.
Viruses on the other hand, are not like this. They are smaller than bacteria but, by themselves, they do not have the ability to reproduce, replicate or even eat. Instead, they require the help of host cells – perhaps bacteria or other living creatures.
Viruses work by first getting inside existing cells and then hijacking their machinery to further their own replication. Once the resources of a cell are at their disposal, they multiply until the cell bursts, spreading infection to the surrounding tissues. In many cases, viruses kill host cells before moving onto their next target.
How Are Bacterial Infections Transmitted?
Bacterial infections are transmitted from person to person via multiple methods. The most common is in the droplets of water in exhaled breath. For instance, many bacterial infections activate the body’s cough reflex, causing sputum to fly into the surrounding atmosphere, ready to be breathed in by somebody else. Kissing is also another common oral transmission mechanism.
Bacteria also moves from person to person via other fluids too. For example, during sexual contact, an infected person can infect their partner.
You can also pick up bacterial infections if you touch contaminated surfaces and then touch your mouth, nose, face or other part of your body. Here, your hand is acting as the transmission mechanism.
The most common bacterial infections are things like strep throat and UTIs. Bacteria is also the cause of more serious conditions, such as Lyme’s disease, tuberculosis and tetanus.
How Does Viral Transmission Work?
Confusingly, viral transmission is very similar to bacterial infection. However, the mechanisms that viruses themselves use to infect that body are, in fact, entirely different.
Again, the most common transmission mechanisms are coming into close contact with somebody who has a virus, exchange of bodily fluids and touching contaminated surfaces. This is one of the reasons why public health authorities believe that masks are effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Masks block the water droplets that contain the virus.
Common viral infections include the flu, colds, and chicken pox. Warts, measles and Zika are also caused by viruses.
Which Treatments Are Most Effective For Bacterial Infections?
The treatments for bacterial and viral infections are very different from each other. If you have a bacterial infection, doctors will treat it with a specific antibacterial agent – almost always, antibiotics.
There are several different classes of antibiotics. Some actively poison bacteria while others prevent them from dividing and multiplying in the conventional way, giving the body’s immune system time to clear them away.
Antibiotics will not work at all for viral infections. And, in fact, prescribing them for viruses is dangerous because it could lead to antibiotic resistance. Too many antibiotics in circulation could select for bacteria that are able to dominate the population, leading to highly drug-resistant diseases in the future.
If your doctor prescribes you antibiotics, you must take them for the entire course, whether you feel better or not. That’s because if you don’t take them for the whole course, some of the bacteria may remain and could begin to multiply in your system again.
Which Treatments Are Most Effective For Viral Infections
For the most part, conventional drugs do not target viral infections in the same way as bacterial infections. That’s because viruses do not have sophisticated reproduction machinery that drugs can interrupt.
Instead, most viral treatments, such as treatments for herpes, focus on alleviating symptoms. In some cases, the body itself can remove the virus from the system, but not always.
Convention treatment typically involves drinking lots of fluids and getting plenty of rest. To manage the pain, people may also use over the counter painkillers and, sometimes, decongestants.
There are anti antiviral medications available for certain diseases. Tamiflu, for instance, is a well known medicine for helping patients avoid the worst of flu symptoms.
How Can You Prevent Infections?
The good news is that a large chunk of infections – whether bacterial or viral – are wholly preventable. However, if you want to avoid them, you will need to engage in some basic practices.
The primary defense against infection is good hygiene. Washing your hands regularly, especially when handling food, helps to prevent the spread of disease.
You should also take care to avoid touching your face with your hands. The mucus membranes in your nose and mouth help germs get into your body and multiply. Most bacteria and viruses cannot penetrate the skin directly, unless you have a wound or a skin condition.
You’ll also want to improve the hygiene of any household objects that you put inside your body. For instance, pay close attention to your toothbrush or wine glasses as these can harbour disease.
Getting vaccinated is another good way to prevent infections. Vaccinations have proven their worth tremendously over the course of the twentieth century, wiping out some deadly diseases entirely. There are vaccines available for many of the world’s most common conditions, including measles, influenza and tetanus.
If you know somebody is sick, then steer clear. You’re much more likely to get an infection if you come into contact with somebody with a disease.
If you are sick yourself, stay home. To protect other people in your household, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze and cough.
Bug bites are another common source of infection. For instance, mosquitos and ticks carry multiple diseases, including Zika and Lyme’s disease.
To protect yourself, alway use insect netting in high risk areas and cover your body in insect repellent.
Food is another major source of infection, with thousands of people being hospitalized for foodborne illnesses every year. Food provides energy to bacteria which can then begin to thrive once they gain a foothold. Within a few hours, their numbers can increase exponentially, causing infection if you were to eat them.
The most dangerous bacteria grow on meat, which is why you need to be so careful whenever you handle raw flesh.
Lastly, you’ll want to practice safe sex. Make sure that you wear protection. You can also limit your number of sexual partners to reduce your risk further.
The Bottom Line
Bacterial and viral infections are quite different from each other. In the case of a bacterial infection, large numbers of bacteria multiply in your tissues and then cause disease. In viral infections, the viruses actually get inside your cells where they then multiply and spread to the rest of the body. You can’t treat viral infections with antibiotics, so don’t even try. Instead, you have to use antivirals which help control the spread of viral particles in the body.
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