Why don't penicillin and other antibiotics stop viruses?

Answer 1

Actually, viral infection can be very dangerous because they are difficult to treat. Just look at avian flu or AIDS. Both are viruses. Antibiotics act against bacteria in several ways. Actuallly, most antibiotics simply prevent the existing bacteria from reproducing, an let the body recover after the existing bacteria die of old age.

Viruses are difficult to kill because they exist inside of your own cells like a parasite, where bacteria attack from outside the cell like a predator. Since the virus is inside of you cells, most things that can kill them also kill the cell they inhabit, which negates the purpose.

There are some anti-viral drugs out there, but they are often not used for two reasons.
1. The side effects are often worse than the disease.
2. They are specific to certain viruses, so they are ineffective against others, and can sometimes cause dangerous mutations of the virus.
Because of these, doctors will often not prescribe them if the condition is a mild or moderate viral infection and is not life threatening.

Answer 2

Penicillin and most other antibiotics are designed to damage biological structures that only bacteria have but viruses don't have.

Penicillin for example damages bacterial cell wall. But viruses don't have any cell wall. And that's why penicillin doesn't affect viruses.

Viruses are very small and simple organisms. And this means that there are relatively few ways in which viruses can be damaged and disabled.

Answer 3

Penicillin and other antibiotics are for killing bacteria. Viruses are completely different. They aren't even considered a living organism like bacteria. Our own antibodies are pretty much the only things known to kill viruses. Its like this: Our antibody cells are soldiers holding keys and the viruses are locked doors. The antibodies have to unlock the viruses in order to kill them but unfortunately our bodies don't have all the keys kill all viruses in the world. When we get a vaccine for say the flu, its like giving the antibody soldiers the key to unlock the door if we ever get theinfected with that particular virus.

Answer 4

A virus is not of the same nature as a baterium, antibiotics are made to kill bacteria not virus's

Answer 5

Because they ONLY work on bacterial infections. Viruses are not as dangerous as bacterial infections. Usually they just run there course in 7 days or so. Bacterial infections can spread and be deadly.

Answer 6

Because a virus isn't alive. A virus is just a "set of instructions" that takes over a cell and uses it to produce copies of itself

Answer 7

they kill bacteria, which is different than a virus.

Answer 8

because i said so /