Public Health information

The most basic difference between bacteria and viruses is their size. Whereas both bacteria and viruses are too tiny to notice with the naked eye, most bacteria are about one micrometer in length and can be perceived with a good optical microscope. On the other hand, viruses are smaller than the wavelength of visible light, which suggests that they can only be perceived by using an electron microscope (Nursing Times, 2006). Infection, every so often the initial phase, takes place when bacteria, viruses or other microbes that cause disease enter the human body and start to multiply. Disease comes about and ensues when the cells in the human body are damaged, as a result of the infection, and signs and symptoms of a disease appear.

Bacterial and viral infections are contaminations caused by bacteria and viruses. Bacteria release poisons known as toxins into the blood stream whereas viruses damage body cells. Bacteria cause diseases such as strep throat, tuberculosis, and urinary tract infections. On the other hand, viruses are capable of causing numerous diseases including AIDS, the common cold, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, genital herpes, influenza, measles, chickenpox and shingles. It is important to note that antibiotics do not have any effect on viruses (Mayo Clinic, 2016).

Bacteria and viruses are spread through different forms. These include the following:

1. By being in close contact with someone who is sneezing and coughing.

2. By being in contact with an infected person, particularly through sexual contact and also kissing.

3. By coming into contact with surfaces or areas that are contaminated, for instance food and water.

4. Bacterial and viral infections can arise from being in contact with infected creatures, such as pets, livestock and insects -- for instance ticks and fleas (Web Md, 2016).

Bacteria and viruses can give rise to three kinds of infections.

1. Acute infections: These are short-lived and last for a couple of days to a week or so.

2. Chronic infections: These are infections that can last for several weeks, months or even a lifespan.

3. Latent infections: These are infections that may not indicate any signs or symptoms in the initial stages, but can return over a period of months and even years.

An important trait to take note of is that these infections caused by bacteria and viruses can bring about mild, moderate and severe illnesses (Web MD, 2016).

Viral and bacterial infections can be easily avoided and stopped. These facts are important for the patients and the community at large to be aware of. One of the ways of to prevent them involves hand-washing. This happens to be the easiest and most effective means to protect oneself from bacteria and viruses. It is important to wash hands very well prior to eating or preparing food, and after sneezing or coughing, changing a child's diaper, and before coming out of the toilet. In the same manner, alcohol-centered hand- washing gels can aid safety. Secondly, vaccination is another effective way of preventing certain diseases. Several vaccines are provided in childhood, however grownups still need to be regularly vaccinated to avoid some ailments, for instance influenza and tetanus. The last resort is medication to evade some diseases such as malaria (Mayo Clinic, 2016). As pointed out earlier, viruses are also spread through kissing and sex. Therefore, it is important to avoid unsafe sex. It is recommended that people make use of condoms. Diseases such as HIV and AIDS are transmitted from unsafe sex and oral sex. These viruses can be transmitted through oral means if the individuals have cuts and bruises in their mouths and therefore viruses can access their blood stream (Mayo Clinic, 2016).

The adverse outcomes of coming into contact with the previously mentioned bacteria and viruses are as diverse as the viruses themselves. Still, there are some points in common between the outcomes for these viruses and bacteria of which people should be aware. The most drastic of these outcomes is death, which can be quite painful in some instances. Death typically happens when people fail to treat the infections caused by the bacteria and viruses detailed in this document. In some cases, that death can be extremely painful for people who have contacted Ebola hemorrhagic fever, genital herpes, the measles, or strep throat. Also, certain bacteria have limited (or no) treatment to prevent death, such as AIDS and specific cases of Ebola. The vast majority of bacterial and viral infections are treatable, yet still cause adverse outcomes during the course of the treatment. The most serious of these are long-term, chronic symptoms. For instance, genital herpes is a chronic condition which people can make less severe by treating, but which never goes away. Most of the adverse outcomes for bacterial and viral infections are occurrences of the symptoms which accompany these specific bacteria or virus. These can include painful sores, rashes, low grade fevers, physical weakness, loss of energy, and tenderness and pain to the infected area. Urinary tract infections can result in frequency of urination as well as these other symptoms. The longer these symptoms are untreated, the worse the outcomes of these infections become.

The overall nature of bacteria and viruses is so widespread that virtually anyone is at risk to them. However, there are certain populations that are more at risk for contacting specific bacteria and viruses than others are. Children in particular are vulnerable to the most widespread viruses which include the common cold, influenza, chickenpox and the measles. It is easy for these viruses to transmit between children in places in which they regularly gather, such as at schools or in recreational centers. Additionally, adults who work in these areas are also at risk for contracting these viruses simply by spending so much time with children. This population is vulnerable because children are not always as conscious of general cleanliness, which can greatly affect the spread of these viruses. Populations that are sexually active are vulnerable to viruses related to sex. These include HIV, AIDS, genital herpes, and other forms of herpes as well. These viruses can be easily limited by engaging in protected sex. It is difficult to categorize the populations which are at risk of the other bacteria and viruses discussed in this paper. These generally include people who are exposed to people who already have these bacteria and viruses, and who spend a fair amount of time in their surroundings.

The difference between acute infections of bacterial or viral causes is clinically essential, but over and over again, very problematic even for skilled and proficient doctors. In order to begin proper treatment as fast as possible and decrease needless and redundant antibiotic treatments, the well-timed knowledge and understanding of whether the infection is viral or bacterial in origin is beneficial for the healthcare provider (Yu et al., 2016). It is imperative to note that it is impossible to have a reliable and dependable prediction of the causative agent for bacterial infections on the basis of clinical features. Therefore, it is necessary to consider penetrating and detailing indicators of bacterial infection. It is imperative that nurses comprehend the dissimilarities between bacteria and viruses for the reason that they need to have the capacity to elucidate these to their patients. Being cognizant of these variances will assist them to understand why a treatment that is appropriate for one condition will not be suitable for another, and why antibiotics cannot be used to treat a viral infection (Nursing Times, 2006).

The measurement of the manifestation of supplement receptors, predominantly CR1 (CD35), on neutrophils can be a valuable and expedient primary test to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. What is more, there's a unique marker of confined and general bacterial infections known as clinical infection score (CIS) point. It integrates quantitative examination of complement receptors on neutrophils and standard clinical laboratory data, displaying 98% sensitivity and 97% specificity in differentiating between bacterial and viral infections (Nuutila and Lilius, 2007). In accordance to Yu et al. (2016), results have indicated that different assay formats of Human Neutrophil Lipocalin (HNL) acknowledged monomeric and dimeric HNL in a different way; the monomeric HNL being prominent in viral infections and the dimeric HNL being preeminent in bacterial infections. As a result, serum measurement of Human Neutrophil Lipocalin is a superior diagnostic approach to make a distinction between acute infections caused by bacteria or virus. What is more, for optimum clinical performance, the immunoassay ought to take into consideration conformational epitopes in the dimeric Human Neutrophil Lipocalin (Yu et al., 2016).

It is imperative to avoid health care-associated infections (HCAIs). HCAI is a key problem for patient safety and its deterrence ought to be a primary significance for settings and institutions dedicated to ensuring health care that is safer. The risk of acquiring HCAI is contingent on factors associated to the infectious agent, for instance virulence and antimicrobial resistance, the host and the environment. The fact that the risk of getting health care-associated infections is universal, it pervades every healthcare provider and system around the world. Performance of high-risk patient care procedures and inadequate infection control practices contribute to the risk. Several viral and bacterial HCAI are transmitted and the burden owing to such infections appears to be numerous times greater than what is observed. The impact of HCAI implies lengthy hospital stays, long-standing disability, increased resistance of bacteria to antimicrobials, and ultimately death (Challenge, 2009). Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to be wary of the healthcare settings and also environment to ensure that bacteria and viruses are not spread or contaminated to the patients being given health care. This encompasses the need for making sure that the health care providers, such as nurses and physicians, are well knowledgeable and proficient in understanding the differences between viruses and bacteria, and what they can do to ensure there is no spread or contamination.