Difference between parasites and viruses

Reproduction is another major difference between the two. Because of this, it cannot reproduce outside of the cell. Lastly, the terminology for infections also differ. If you have been infected by a parasite and are experiencing related symptoms you have parasitoses. These symptoms might involve muscle pain or weakness, skin irritation, vomiting and other stomach issues, and a plethora of other afflictions. In this case, the symptoms would include anything from a runny nose with a common cold to pain while urinating from a UTI, and much more.

Using the above information of how parasites and viruses are different from each other, continue to research signs of related illnesses so that you can speak with and work with your doctor to get the best treatment possible.

But bacteria are extremely adaptive and can quickly evolve to evade antibiotics. Bacteria share their antibiotic-resistant genes with each other, meaning more strains generate resistance to the drugs we use. Common forms: Fungi are responsible for causing conditions such as yeast infections , valley fever and meningitis. Fungi are more complicated organisms than viruses and bacteria—they are "eukaryotes," which means they have cells.

Of the three pathogens, fungi are most similar to animals in their structure. There are two main types of fungi: environmental, which are yeast and mold that often live in soil and don't generally cause infection in most healthy people; and commensals, which live on and in us and generally don't hurt us. Certain environmental fungi reproduce "spores," particles that can enter our body through the lungs or on the skin.

These fungi can be especially damaging for people with weakened immune systems, as the fungi can spread quickly and damage many organs. Fungi are slower to mutate, so they are easier to target with antifungal medications than bacteria are with antibiotics. Skip to content. How viruses make us sick. Viruses also are capable of infecting any living thing, including bacteria and fungi.

How to treat viruses. How bacteria makes us sick. How to treat bacterial infections. How fungi makes us sick. Commensal fungus, may play a beneficial role in our overall health. Other fungal infections can be caused by an overgrowth of commensal fungus. Vaccines have reduced the disease burden for several otherwise lethal viruses such as measles, rubella, influenza and smallpox.

Beyond that, washing hands and covering noses while sneezing are practices that can keep some of these viruses at bay. Some bacteria are good for you, offering protection against pathogens and aiding with digestion in the gut. Some are specialized to cause disease such as Staphylococcal infection Staphylococcus aureus , botulism Clostridium botulinum , gonorrhea Neisseria gonorrhoeae , gastric ulcer Helicobacter pylori , diphtheria Corynebacterium diptheriae and bubonic plague Yersinia pestis.

They can produce toxins , invade cells or the bloodstream, or compete with the host for shared nutrients — all of which can lead to illness. The right course of treatment can depend on how the bacteria is causing illness. Take botulism, for instance. People get it when they eat food contaminated with toxins or bacterial spores from C. If a person ingests the toxin, he or she can develop symptoms within six to 36 hours. If the spore is ingested, it can take up to a week.

Supportive care is the primary therapeutic method, to prevent or relieve other possible complications and to maintain the health and breathing of the patient. Antibiotics treat infections by destroying the bacterium, but with botulism , the destruction of the bacterium can lead to the release of more toxins, causing severe illness.

Doctors treat toxins by administering antitoxins or inducing vomiting. Today, thanks to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics , resistant bacteria is on the rise, and as of , there were about , new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis MDR-TB. Cycling between different antibiotics can reduce the risk of resistance. Alternatives , such as bacteriophages bacteria killing viruses or enzymes that destroy the genome of resistant bacteria, are being developed.

There are vaccines available for some bacteria, like the DPT vaccine against Diphtheria, Bordetella pertussis and Clostridium tetani. And there are plenty of simple solutions to prevent bacteria from making us sick , such as proper hand washing, disinfection of surfaces, use of clean water and cooking to appropriate temperatures to eliminate bacteria.

The third group in our trio of pathogens — parasites — have inspired many horror stories and many of us find them kind of gross. Parasites can be microscopic single cellular organisms called protozoa, or bigger organisms like worms or ticks. Protozoan parasites are actually more closely related to the cells in our body than to bacteria. Parasites are everywhere, and they can play a complex and important role in ecosystems.