AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
Fighting Disease. (Diseases and Infection).(Brief Article)
Bacteria and viruses are tiny germs or pathogens that can cause disease. Measles is caused by a virus. Bacteria are one-celled living things-and not all are harmful. Viruses are not considered living things and are even smaller than bacteria.
Antibiotics are medicines that have been developed to kill bacteria Before antibiotics were developed, an infection such as strep throat could become scarlet fever. Many people died of such severe infections. Now they are given antibiotics by a doctor and are usually well in a week or two. Antibiotics, however, do not kill viruses. That's why most physicians don't prescribe antibiotics for colds.
A Perplexing Problem
Viruses have been much more difficult to study than bacteria They are very tiny particles and are not clearly living cells like bacteria. Bacteria need food, water, and oxygen to survive. Viruses don't. They can't grow or reproduce until they are in a living cell. They can remain in a lifeless state for months or years and then become active. And they can change shape, so that the virus a scientist is studying today is not exactly the same virus tomorrow. That's why flu vaccines need to be changed each year--the flu virus changes.
A Strong Defense
Viruses do not affect all people the same way. A person in good health may be able to resist a viral infection. The best way to avoid a serious infection is to be immunized, avoid contact with an infected person, and stay strong and healthy.
RELATED ARTICLE: ...
- Measles - United States, January 1-April 25, 2008
- Magazine article from: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Anonymous May 9, 2008 700+ words
...interruption of endemic measles transmission) was declared in the United States in 2000 (1...importation of measles from other countries into the United States, and 63 of the...vaccination. Measles cases in the United States are reported...
- Update: Measles - United States, January-July 2008
- Magazine article from: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Grigg, M A; Brzezny, A L; Dawson, J; Rietberg, K; DeBolt, C; Linchangco, P; Smith, S; Jones, S; Vernon, M; Counard, C; Chugh, R; Nelson, S; Green, K; Petit, C; Vercillo, J; Cesario, S; Hunt, K; Conover, C; Daniels, J; McMahon, K; Redd, S B; Gallagher, K M; Armstrong, G L; Anderson, L J; Seward, J F; Rota, P A; Rota, J S; Lowe, L; Bellini, W J August 22, 2008 700+ words
...Sporadic importations of measles into the United States have occurred since...an earlier report on measles in the United States during 2008 (2) and...spread of measles. Measles cases in the United States are reported by state...
- Molecular epidemiology of measles viruses in the United States, 1997-2001....
- Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases Rota, Paul A. Liffick, Stephanie L. Rota, Jennifer S. Katz, Russell Redd, Susan Papania, Mark Bellini, William J. September 1, 2002 700+ words
...obtained from confirmed measles cases in the United States, representing 21...that no strain of measles is endemic in the United States...of transmission of measles in the United States (2-4) and Australia...
- Measles--United States, 2004.
- Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Dayan, G. Redd, S. LeBaron, C. Rota, P. Rota, J. Bellini, W. December 9, 2005 700+ words
...describes the epidemiology of measles in the United States in 2004, documenting the absence of endemic measles and the continued risk for...abroad and traveled to the United States. The countries from which measles was imported were China...
- Overview of measles surveillance in the United States released.
- Newspaper article from: Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week July 3, 2004 700+ words
...provide an overview of measles surveillance in the United States in a recent issue...elimination of endemic measles from the United States has been a national...Infectious Diseases (Measles surveillance in the United States: An overview. J...
- Acute measles mortality in the United States during 1987-2002 reported.
- Newspaper article from: Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA July 4, 2004 700+ words
...Investigators report the acute measles mortality in the United States during 1987-2002...reported incidence of measles in the United States during these years...Infectious Diseases (Acute measles mortality in the United States, 1987-2002. J...
- Measles outbreak among internationally adopted children arriving in the United...
- Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report December 13, 2002 700+ words
...that identified 14 U.S. measles cases and outlines measures taken in the United States and China to control and prevent measles transmission. The index...secondary transmission of measles in the United States from an adopted child...
- Epidemiology of measles in the United States from 1997-2001 reported.
- Newspaper article from: Drug Week July 2, 2004 700+ words
...the epidemiology of measles in the United States from 1997-2001 in...recent research from the United States, "Of the 540 measles cases (annual incidence...Diseases (Epidemiology of measles in the United States, 1997-2001. J Infec...
Source: HighBeam Research, Fighting Disease. (Diseases and Infection).(Brief Article)