If the flu is a strain of viruses that cause respratory infection...
then WHY wont an antibiotic work for it?
I dont get it..
I UNDERSTAND that antibiotics dont work on viruses....
but if the virus CAUSES an "infection" then why dont they prescribe antibiotics...
Antibiotics work on INFECTION!
2007-02-08 06:18:05 · 3 answers · asked by ♥ Jasmine ♥ 4 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Antibiotics work on (typically) bacterial infection, not all infection. They are useless against viral infection. Antibiotics work by killing bacteria - no more bacteria, no more infection. You acknowledge that antibiotics don't work on viruses...if they don't work on viruses, how are they going to eliminate the viruses and remove the infection?
2007-02-08 06:28:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think your question is why don't they prescribe antibiotics to fight the bacterial infections that are a side effect of the flu virus; the answer is they do, but doctors are reluctant to prescribe antibiotics when viruses are involved; because, over prescription of antibiotics have been leading to their ineffectiveness.
2007-02-09 01:56:10 · answer #2 · answered by Bud#21 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
antibiotics only work on bacterial infections, not viral infections.
there are a large vaiety of "infections"- bacterial(for which antibiotics work), fungal(like yeast for which antifungals-not antibiotics work), viral( for some infections like herpes that antiviralmedicines MAY help-but not always). Just like people, not all INFECTIONS are created equal;.
2007-02-08 14:35:14 · answer #3 · answered by tamumd 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋