Is Your Infection Bacterial or Viral?

Coughing, sneezing, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue? All of these symptoms can be signs that your immune system is working to rid your body of an infectious organism (bacterium or virus) that is making you sick. If either of these tiny microbes invade the body they can cause similar symptoms and lead to mild, moderate or severe disease. But how do you know if your illness is bacterial or viral? And how are they treated?Bacterial Infections vs. Viral InfectionsBacteria and viruses are both microbes – too small to be seen without a microscope – and both can cause illness in people and animals. Bacterial and viral illnesses can spread through: Coughing and sneezing Intimate contact with infected people such as kissing or sex Contact with contaminated surfaces Ingestion of contaminated food or water Contact with infected pets, livestock or insects such as fleas or ticksIn other ways, however, they are very different. What Are Bacteria?These microbes are single-celled creatures that e...