Prevention Best Protection Against Viral Infection
There are only a couple of differences between a bacterial infection and a viral infection, but how they are treated will require totally different procedures. In many instances, a virus has no known antibodies, hence the trouble in finding a cure for the common cold, however, there are many known methods of dealing with most of the symptoms resulting from exposure to a viral infection.
Unlike bacteria, a virus is a living organism and requires a host on which to feed an multiply. If exposed to a dry surface without proper food and water for its existence, it cannot survive. Viruses cannot survive outside the host, such as the human body or most animals, yet once they have establishes residency, they can be difficult to evict. In the beginning of a viral infection, the virus cell enters a healthy cell and infects it with its own DNA structure, replacing the cell with its own structure, killing off the old cell and then moving to infect other cells for duplication.
Some of the most common forms of viral infection occur in the mouth, ears, nose and throat, the areas most susceptible to airborne viruses. Sore throats, the flu and most often the common cold are the result of a viral infection that has managed to enter the weakened cells in another human through either direct or indirect contact.
Symptoms Offer Clues To Presence Of Viruses
Most viral infections can be accurately diagnosed based solely on the presented symptoms. For some of the infections additional testing, typically blood tests may be required to obtain an accurate diagnosis. In some tests the blood will indicate which defensive mechanisms have been released by the body, allowing the doctor to determine the type of viral infection that is attacking the body.
There are different types of virus that set their sights on different types of hosts. There are some that only attack humans, some that attack only animals and still others that require small creatures such as birds on which to survive. Similar to bacteria, a viral infection may be mutated allowing it to cross species an cause infection in one that previously was believe to be immune from its affects.
There are a number of antiviral drugs being used today for many viral infections such as HIV and the West Nile virus. Mostly they work by interfering with the reproductive process of the viral cells giving the body's natural defenses the time needed to fight off the infection. A person with a weak immune system however, may require additional jelp in killing the virus, not limited to stopping its ability to replicate.
