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Home › Articles › General Health › Bacterial vs. Viral Infections

Bacterial vs. Viral Infections

What's the Difference Between Bacterial and Viral Infections in Babies?

By Shannon McKelden

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Treatment

Treatment is different for bacterial and viral infections, though often a bit of investigation must be done in order to differentiate them, especially if they all seem to blend together.

Lucy Henderson's son, Jaxon, has attended childcare since he was 12 months old. Their experiences with bacterial and viral infections were complex. "My son was prone to ear infections, upper respiratory infections and viral-induced asthma," says Henderson, who is from Snohomish, Wash. "For 24 months it was a battle. He would get a cold (virus), it would go to his ears ([bacterial] infection) and sometimes travel to his chest ([bacterial] infection/pneumonia). We finally got this under control with the right meds and ear tubes."

"It is often difficult to know, when symptoms begin, if the infection is caused by a bacteria or by a virus," Dr. Dalton says. "So it is up to the medical provider to obtain a medical history, examination of the infant, to obtain laboratory tests if needed and to recommend an initial approach to treating symptoms."

Viruses enter into the immune cells or into the cells of the body and will hide out from attack or cause the body's immune system to kill the infected cell in order to get rid of the virus inside of it, according to Dr. Dalton. "When bacteria attacks, it attaches to the outer surface of the cells and can cause damage by releasing toxic products within the body or by causing the immune system to launch a vigorous attack which can both get rid of the bacteria but also tends to cause high fevers and dysregulation of blood pressure and the circulatory system," she says.

The differences in the mechanisms of the two types of infections mean they are treated differently. Antibiotics – which treat baterial infections by slowing down bacterial growth, causing the protective wall of the bacteria to collapse or to not form properly, or killing the bacteria directly to allow the bacteria to be eliminated by the immune defense systems in the body – are ineffective against viral infections, which are "hidden." Anti-viral therapies do exist, but only for very specific viral infections. Many common viral infections have no specific anti-viral therapies available, according to Dr. Dalton.


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