Question

Why can't you prescribe antibiotics to treat a viral infection???!!!!!

Answer 1

Answer: A virus lack the metabolic machinery common to other microorganisms

Explanation:

A virus is an ultramicroscopic particle capable of causing disease. It differs from other disease-causing organisms like bacteria, nematodes etc, because it has no metabolic system of its own but relies on its host system for survival and replication.

Hence, it is difficult for antibiotics to target and destroy viruses without harming patients, rather antiviral drug are prescribed against viruses

Answer 2

Answer: Due to structural differences between virus and bacteria, antibiotics can't treat viral infections.

Explanation:

Viruses insert their genetic material into a human cell's DNA in order to reproduce. Antibiotics cannot kill viruses because bacteria and viruses have different mechanisms and machinery to survive and replicate. The antibiotic has no “target” to attack in a virus and therefore can't kill a virus.