Various creatures live on and in our bodies. Some are helpful, some harmful. Eliminating "good" germs can cause diseases, especially by allowing other "bad" germs to take over. Most infections can be treated, some cannot.

Bacteria:

Bacteria are one celled living organisms that burn up energy, make chemical products, and reproduce. Examples include strep, staph, and E. coli (which is found in the stool). Common illnesses caused by bacteria include strep throat, impetigo, acne, pneumococcal pneumonia, middle ear infections (otitis media), sinusitis, and urinary tract infections.

Bacterial infectious are treated with antibiotics such as sulfa, penicillin, tetracycline and many others. Antibiotics are often expensive and can have considerable side effects, including "selecting" out bacteria which will be resistant to that antibiotic in the future. Many previously treatable infections are now becoming resistant to virtually all antibiotics because of overuse and misuse (including gonorrhea and staph). Not taking all of an antibiotic prescription may be dangerous - the infection may not be completely killed, and a resistant bacteria can take over. Some medicines, especially tetracycline, can become poisonous over time.

Viruses:

Viruses cause diseases such as measles, mumps, chicken pox, AIDS, herpes, influenza and the common cold. With some variations, viruses are basically DNA with a cover on it. They reproduce by making a victim’s cells create more viruses. Anti-viral drugs work by interfering with the DNA copying process, but so far medical science’s success in treating viral infections has been limited and disappointing - although AIDS research has uncovered many breakthroughs. Medicines do occasionally work - like "amantadine" for preventing and treating one form of influenza (the flu) - influenza type A (however you cannot know at the time what type of flu you have, so you may take the medicine hoping it’s a type A influenza). Antibiotics that kill bacteria (like penicillin) are not effective against viruses. Viruses are not alive, so they cannot be killed. Vaccines can prevent some viral illnesses.

Funguses:

Funguses eat dead material, such as dead skin (ringworm, athlete’s foot, fungal nail infectious). When the immune system or the body’s normal systems are impaired in some manner, funguses can take over - as happens with "thrush" and vaginal yeast infections. This also happens with AIDS. Most funguses can be treated successfully with anti-fungal agents.

Parasites:

The human body is normally covered with microscopic insects and other parasites. These insects are themselves covered with even smaller microscopic insects and parasites. They don’t harm each other (or us), and probably have a mutually advantageous role - we help or don’t hurt them and they help or don’t hurt us. When abnormal parasites become a problem, or normal parasites cannot be kept in check because of an impaired immune system, illnesses can occur such as: diarrhea, itchy rashes, muscle illnesses, and blood diseases like malaria.

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