Over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on antibiotics and their widespread overuse. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics are increasingly common and cause a massive global health crisis. In the United States alone, antibiotic use is up 20% from 2013 to 2014 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
One way in which the antibiotic resistance crisis is growing is through the failure to distinguish between a bacterial vs viral infection. The two infections might look similar to the untrained eye. As stated by the CDC, “a person with a bacterial infection rarely has symptoms that are a match for those of a viral infection.” Typically, bacterial infections are usually caused by bacteria (such as E. coli) and will have symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. On the other hand, viral infections cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches, chills and fatigue.
The difference between a bacterial vs viral infection is easy to find if you know what to look for, but many do not recognize that these differences exist.
Similarities and Differences Between Bacterial and Viral infections
They can usually be distinguished by their symptoms and having a blood test viral vs bacterial infection done. When bacterial vs. viral infections are diagnosed, patients need to be cautious about taking antibiotics for both bacterial and viral infections because not everyone responds to antibiotics in the same way.
Usually, bacteria have more resistance to antibiotics than viruses, which makes it much harder to treat bacterial and viral infections with antibiotics when they are misdiagnosed as one another.
According to the CDC, patients with bacterial and viral infections who are taking antibiotics are at a higher risk of developing a bacterial antibiotic resistance crisis and might have to take antibiotics for a longer period of time.
Awareness is the key to patient safety and reducing the risk of bacterial and. viral infections being misdiagnosed as one another. If you or someone you know suspects you may have a bacterial or viral infection, contact your doctor right away so that you can get the proper treatment.
Bacterial and. viral infections are two of the most common infections that cause human illness and are both treatable if they are properly diagnosed. When these infections are misdiagnosed as one another, patients can be put at risk because antibiotics do not work on viral infections. Bacteria and viruses are very different in how they spread, how they look and how it impacts your body.
The bacteria that cause bacterial infections can be transmitted from person-to-person and from animals to people. They are typically found in the intestines, mouth, throat and nose of humans and animals. Bacteria are the most common cause of bacterial infections, but some viral infections can be spread by mosquitoes or ticks.
Bacterial and viral infections have a similar look but there is a difference between them that causes them to behave differently once they are in your body. Bacteria look like small rods or straight lines. Viruses are smaller than bacteria and look like blobs or threads.
When a bacterial and viral infection is in your body, it affects different parts of the body in different ways. Bacteria affect your gastrointestinal tract, affecting things like your food digestion, which makes you nauseous and gives you diarrhea. A bacteria can also live outside of the gastrointestinal tract as well, making it feel sore and stiff and cause a fever. Viruses have a different way of affecting the body and look like blisters or fluid-filled bumps. These infections are usually seen on the skin, causing spots and rashes.
Conclusion
When blood test viral vs bacterial infections are misdiagnosed as one another, patients need to be very careful about taking antibiotics for both types of infections because not everyone responds to antibiotics in the same way. If your symptoms do not match the symptoms of a bacterial or viral infection then you should contact your doctor to have that diagnosis confirmed.
