Viruses and bacteria, which one is more dangerous for the body?

Bacteria and viruses are types of microbes that both cause infectious diseases in humans. Even though they both cause infectious diseases, they have differences that make treatment and how to handle it are not the same. In fact, what are the differences and which is more dangerous between bacteria and viruses?

Here's the difference between bacteria and viruses

Different places of life and development

Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that grow and thrive in various types of environments, including the human body. Several types of bacteria usually live in environments that are very cold or very hot.

While some of it grows and develops in the human body, one of which is the intestine. Some bacteria are harmless and not bad for health, but there are several types of bacteria that must be watched out for because they can cause infectious diseases.

It is different from viruses, which are small types of microorganisms that only have nucleic acids, DNA, and RNA, which are surrounded by walls of proteins. If you look closely, viruses have a much smaller size than bacteria.

In addition, these microorganisms need a "host" or a place to live, such as plants, animals, or humans, in order to survive. That is why these microorganisms are parasitic, because they cannot live alone without the help of living cells or tissues.

Different infectious diseases it causes

In general, here are some infectious diseases caused by bacteria:

1.Tuberculosis (TB)

TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteriaMycobacterium tuberculosis. Although usually attacking the organs of the lungs, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis can also develop and spread to the bones, lymph nodes, central nervous system, to the heart.

2. Urinary tract infection

Urinary tract infection (UTI) can occur when bacteria enter the urethra. There are various types of bacteria that cause UTIs, one of the most common isEscherichia coli (E. coli). When these bacteria are present around the anus, they can automatically enter the urethra and into other parts of the body.

In contrast to men, the location of the urethra and anus in women is closer together. As a result, the possibility of infection can increase.

Meanwhile, infectious diseases caused by viruses, namely:

1. Chicken pox

Chickenpox is an infection with the herpes varicella-zoster virus that is passed from another person who has it. This disease will later cause sores all over the body, even to the face.

2. AIDS

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). AIDS is a progression from HIV which is already more severe. This one disease can cause various other diseases due to the weakening of a person's immune system.

Broadly speaking, infectious diseases caused by these microorganisms can occur because DNA, which is useful as a regulator of cell activity, enters cells or normal body tissues.

In short, the ability by which these microorganisms to grow and reproduce involves the body's healthy cells. In fact, some of these microorganisms can even kill their host cells as part of their life cycle.

Different treatment

Patients who experience bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics are a type of drug that can kill, stop, and destroy disease bacteria that are growing in the body.

While viruses, are usually treated using special drugs called antivirals (antivirals).

There are diseases that can be caused by both bacteria and viruses

Apart from causing different diseases, bacteria and viruses can both cause a person to experience an infectious disease at the same time.

The reason is, in some cases it is quite difficult to know whether the infectious disease is caused by a virus or bacteria. For example, in meningitis, diarrhea and pneumonia.

In addition, strep throat or pharyngitis is also included in the list of conditions that can be caused by infection with these two microorganisms. Sore throat is not actually a disease, but a symptom that appears when you have certain diseases.

Types of viruses that cause flu and colds, as well as types of bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus group A both can cause sore throat.

So, who is more dangerous?

Until now there has been no scientific evidence that states that any of the bacteria and viruses are more harmful to health. Both can be very dangerous, depending on the type and how much in the body.

However, when viewed from the nature or severity of the effects, viruses tend to be more difficult to cure and take a long time. In addition, these microorganisms cannot be killed and their growth stopped by using antibiotics, but must use antiviral drugs.

Viruses can be up to 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria, making the infectious disease they cause more difficult to recover quickly. Viruses can cause a person to experience infection by inserting the DNA they have into the body's cells, or taking over the body's cells.

When these cells have divided, then "born" cells that have been infected with the virus. Meanwhile, bacteria, successfully cause infectious disease by destroying the body's cells that are developing.

After knowing how these two microorganisms work, it can be concluded that viruses tend to be longer and harder to kill because they take over all the normal cells of the developing body.

Viruses can also take over bacterial cells that are developing. In other words, it can infect bacteria and this condition is called bacteriophages. Therefore, viruses tend to be more dangerous than bacteria.

But that doesn't mean the bacteria are harmless. Bacteria can also be "naughty" and difficult to treat once antibiotics are resistant. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can make bacterial infections more difficult to treat.