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Why cant antibiotics be used to treat diseases like flu or HIV?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Antibiotics are used for bacteria, HIV and FLU are a type of viris, not a bacterium
you would have to use anti-viral tablets but they are not very effective because they can destroy your cells (viruses reproduce inside cells)
Antibiotics generally work by destroying the cell walls of bacteria. The flu is caused by a virus, which is not a cell and does not have a cell wall. Antibiotics cannot be used against viral diseases.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoAntibiotics are only used to treat bacterial infections. They don't kill viruses, which are what cause both HIV and the flu.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoBecause antibiotics are made to only kill bacteria and those same killing methods don't work on the different kind of pathogens (viruses) that cause the flu and HIV.
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Why are anti biotics are unhelpful for treating a common cold?
Because antibiotics treat bacterial infections not viral. There are some viral colds like the flu in which antibiotics will work.
Why cant anitibiotics be used to treat diseases like flu or HIV?
Flue and HIV are virusal infections.Antibiotics dont have any again viruses.Antibiotic can be used secondzry infection caused by imune surpresed person that have hiv ore Flu
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Antibiotics like penicillin are used to kill bacterial infections. An antifungal medication would be needed to treat a fungal infection.
Will penicillin treat congestion and flu symptoms?
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Why can you not kill flu with antibiotics?
Antibiotics are only for killing bacteria, they do not work on viruses which are the cause of the flu. Bacteria are living organisms and so poisons and chemicals can actually kill them. But flu viruses are non-living organisms so they can not be killed, they can only be inactivated by damage or physical blocking by antibodies (made by our immune systems) of the shapes of the structures viruses use to attach to a host's cells. Viruses need a host's cells to use to reproduce, if they can not attach to the cells, they will be inactivated. Antibiotics are not capable of inactivating them.
Antibiotics are used to treat viral infections like the flu True or False?
Antibiotics kill bacteria. Antivirals kill viruses. However, a patient with a viral infection might sometimes be given antibiotics to reduce the work the patient's defenses have to do or to stop opportunistic infections.
Why can antibiotics treat flu-like symptoms caused by bacteria but are ineffective against flu?
Because the way antibiotics treat those symptoms is by killing the bacteria that cause them. If the symptoms are caused by viruses, then antibiotics can't help since they are not made to be able to "kill" viruses, just bacteria. Flu viruses are not really living organisms like bacteria are. So viruses must be inactivated rather than killed. Antibiotics can neither kill nor inactivate viruses. They are created to be used to kill only specific bacteria, they do not kill every kind of bacteria, either. That is why there are so many different kinds of antibiotics. Antibiotics can treat flu-like symptoms caused by some bacteria, because the right antibiotics can kill bacteria. So although flu like symptoms are similar to those of the flu, they are caused by different microbes so are not cured in the same way.
