How do bacteria and viral infection differ?

Do you know that bacteria and viral infections are different from each other? Many common infections are formed from Bacteria and Viruses. Bacterial infections are caused by a tiny microorganism called bacteria. However, some of the bacteria can not cause any harm to you while most of them are still quite dangerous and cause you with diseases like tuberculosis, strep throat, and urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria. 

 

On the other hand, Viruses are smaller than bacteria and consist of a wide variety of features and shapes. A virus consists of genetic material DNA or RNA which is surrounded by a coat of lipid(fat), protein and glycoprotein, etc. The virus infections can cause you the diseases like common colds, chickenpox, and AIDS etc. 

In this article, we will discuss bacterial vs viral infection. 

 

What is a Bacterial infection? 

The bacterial infections are caused by the expansion in the bacteria strain. Thus, your body parts could easily catch infections through bacteria that can even cause illness such as food poisoning, pneumonia, and meningitis. There are generally three shapes of bacteria namely helical(spirilla), spherical(cocci) and rod-shaped (bacilli), etc. 

Bacteria can be classified into two types of gram-positive bacteria that consist of a thick cell wall and gram-negative bacteria. The bacterial strains are identified by the tests like antibiotic sensitivity determination and genetic analysis. 

 

Common bacterial infections are

Gonorrhea, cellulitis, tetanus, strep throat, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, bacterial food poisoning, etc. 

 

How are bacterial infections transmitted? 

Some bacterial infections are quite dangerous and can easily be transmitted in your body from another person. The ways in which the infections can be transmitted includes: 

1. An infant could catch the infection from her mother. 
2. You can also catch the infection , if you have hugged or kissed an infected person. 
3. By touching the bacteria-contaminated surface like a faucet handle and doorknobs and then putting your hands on the nose, mouth, or face.
4. Coming in contact with a person who has a cold and cough.

 

What is a Viral Infection?

Your body usually catches the viral infection when a virus enters your body.  A viral infection forms different copies of a virus in your body that bursts out the host cell. Therefore, common cold is the most common type of viral disease that you can catch.

Other than this, viruses can even cause you other types of diseases. The viruses mainly consist of four groups including head and tail, enveloped, filamentous, and isometric (or icosahedral). 

Viral infection includes: 

Viral pneumonia, viral hepatitis, shingles, infectious mononucleosis, herpes, chickenpox, viral meningitis, viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu), rubella, mumps, and measles. 

 

How are viral infections transmitted? 

The ways in which viral infection can be transmitted in your body includes:

 

1. When your body comes in contact with the body fluids contaminated with a virus. 
2. If you drink water or eat food which is contaminated with viruses.
3. The virus-host like a field mouse, tick, or mosquitoes can easily transmit the virus in you by sitting on your food. 
4. If you breathe in air-borne droplets that are contaminated with the virus, then you will transmit the virus in your body.

 

Bacteria vs Viral Infection 

 

Although, the symptoms of bacterial infection and the viral infection could nearly be similar to sneezing, vomiting, coughing, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, etc. But still you must know about the nature of the infection so that you could treat them correctly by taking the bacterial vs virus infection test. Bacteria and viruses are completely different types of microorganisms.

 

Bacteria are formed from a single cell and are very tiny microorganisms.Hence, The bacterial infection can exist in any conceivable environment whether inside or on your body, in extreme cold, heat, or radioactive waste. Whereas, Viruses are even smaller in size than bacteria. Viruses need proper tissues of living cells to grow, as they are parasitic. 

 

Viruses can easily cause disease in your  body but in the case of bacteria, there are less than a 1% chance of diseases to occur in your body. Also, you could treat the  bacterial infections by taking antiparasitic medications depending on the type of parasite which is causing the infection. 

 

Moreover, to treat the viral infection , you must take  OTC decongestants to stop running nose, getting proper rest, drinking healthy fluids to avoid dehydration, and taking OTC pain medicines like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and acetaminophen(Tylenol) to overcome pain, fever, and aches.

 

Conclusion

Although both the virus and bacteria can cause severe health problems,  which is why it becomes very essential for you to know the exact nature of them , so that you could effectively treat them with the right medications.