What is the difference between Bacterial and Viral Infection?

Bacteria is a single-celled microorganism and they cause bacterial infection while the viral infection is caused by viruses. Bacterial infection includes whooping cough, ear infection, strep throat, urinary tract, infection tuberculosis, and strep throat while viral infection includes common cold, flu, chickenpox, bronchitis, and HIV/AIDS.

Antibiotics are used to combat bacterial infection while antiviral is used to combat viral infection. Some bacteria can survive in extreme cold and heat. Viruses are smaller than bacteria. Some bacteria are not harmful while viruses invade your cells and take over the cell machinery.

A virus requires living hosts such as plants, people, or animals otherwise they cannot survive. Antibiotics cannot be used to treat virus because anti means against while biotics means life and antivirus cannot be used for bacteria as it can kill bacteria.

Bacterial and viral infections are easy to differentiate. From their names, it is very easy to figure out that bacterial infections are infections caused by bacteria, while viral infections are infections caused by viruses. While there are some bacteria that cause infection, there are others that do not cause infection.

In fact, human bodies house some bacteria that are very helpful for certain biological processes. On the other hand, viruses are microorganisms just like bacteria but are usually seen by the eye through the use of powerful microscopes. Viruses are known as major causes of different deadly diseases on earth.

Symptoms of bacterial infection include Productive cough, sore throat, High-grade fever, tonsillitis, etc. Symptoms of viral infections include; fatigue, low-grade fever, sore throat, nonproductive cough. Both infections can easily be transmitted through direct contact, indirect contact, droplet, airborne, etc. Bacterial infection can be treated using antibiotics, while viral infection can be cured using antiviral medications.

Bacterial infections are caused by inflammatory facilitators being released into the system. When a blood count is done, there is a high number of neutrophils. This is a type of white blood cell, and its purpose is to send messages to the immune system.

The high number of neutrophils indicates that there is a bacterial infection. Viral infections, also known as viruses, are identified with an increased number of lymphocyte.

Another difference between the two types of infections is the symptoms that occur. Those with a virus normally have a wide array of symptoms, while those with a bacterial infection have fewer symptoms.

A bacterial infection is a result of the release of inflammatory facilitators. A full blood count displays high numbers of neutrophils, which are a type of white blood cell that is responsible for messages sent to the immune system. Viruses are microscopic life forms that contain a capsule, core, nucleic acid strand, and protein, and these are simple organisms that depend on cells to flourish and multiply.

There are RNA viruses and DNA viruses. Viruses are more primitive, while bacteria are single-cell organisms. Bacterial infections enhance the neutrophil count, while viruses increase lymphocyte count. In a viral infection, widespread symptoms come to fruition, while bacterial infections are localized.