Question

Is a viral infection treated with the same kind of drug that treats bacterial infections?

Answer 1

Bacteria and virus are two most common type of pathogen. Bacterial drugs are generally known as antibiotics whereas drugs working against virus are called as antu-viral drugs.  

Antibiotic either kill the bacteria or stop the growth of bacteria. Most antibiotic kill the bacteria as targeting the metabolic pathway of bacteria, destroying cell membrane etc. As viruses are the organism that do not have any metabolic machinery, not have any cell wall or membrane and do not replicate on their own so they are not killed by antibiotic that can kill bacteria viruses have only the dna/rna . Hence, viral infection can not be treated with same kind of drug that treats bacterial infection.