Types of Infections

Infections can be categorized broadly into four types: bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic.
Bacterial Infections: These are caused by bacteria, which are single-celled organisms usually found in and on our bodies. Examples include strep throat, urinary tract infections, and tuberculosis.
Viral Infections: These occur when a virus infiltrates the body and uses your cells to reproduce. Examples are colds, flu, and HIV/AIDS.
Fungal Infections: These are caused by fungi, which can live in the air, soil, water and plants. Some types can live in the human body. Not all fungi are harmful, but some can cause infections. Examples include athlete’s foot, ringworm, and fungal meningitis.
Parasitic Infections: Parasites are organisms that use other organisms for their survival, while harming them. These can include amoebas, worms and single-celled parasites that cause malaria.
Additionally, Prion diseases are caused by misfolded proteins called prions. They can cause severe neurodegenerative diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Infections can be spread through various ways such as physical contact, airborne droplets, contact with feces, touching surfaces, or through blood and body fluids.
The symptoms of infection depend on the type of disease. Some signs and symptoms common to several types of infections include fever, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle aches, coughing, and headache.
Healthcare professionals diagnose infections using different methods, including medical history, physical examination, and lab tests.
Infections are typically treated with medicines that help the body’s immune system attack the pathogen. Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections, antiviral drugs for viral infections, antifungal medicines for fungal infections, and antiparasitic drugs for parasitic infections. Infections caused by prions are usually resistant to usual methods of treatment.
Prevention of infection can often be achieved through hygiene, vaccination, and careful food preparation.
It is critical for those in the healthcare sector to have a fundamental understanding of different types of infections, their transmission, prevention, and treatment to provide effective patient care and control the spread of infectious diseases.