Editing Infection (section)

==Signs and symptoms==
The [[signs and symptoms]] of an infection depend on the type of disease. Some signs of infection affect the whole body generally, such as [[fatigue]], loss of appetite, weight loss, [[fever]]s, night sweats, chills, aches and pains. Others are specific to individual body parts, such as skin [[rash]]es, [[cough]]ing, or a [[Rhinorrhea|runny nose]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Runny Nose: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment |url=https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17660-runny-nose |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=Cleveland Clinic |archive-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510130201/https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17660-runny-nose |url-status=live }}</ref>

In certain cases, infectious diseases may be [[asymptomatic]] for much or even all of their course in a given host. In the latter case, the disease may only be defined as a "disease" (which by definition means an illness) in hosts who secondarily become ill after contact with an [[asymptomatic carrier]]. An infection is not synonymous with an infectious disease, as some infections do not cause illness in a host.<ref name=Sherris/>

===Bacterial or viral===
As bacterial and viral infections can both cause the same kinds of symptoms, it can be difficult to distinguish which is the cause of a specific infection.<ref name="nipa">{{Cite web |title=NIPA - Bacteria - Bacterial vs. Viral infections |url=http://www.antibiotics-info.org/bact02.html |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=www.antibiotics-info.org |archive-date=2023-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110111321/http://www.antibiotics-info.org/bact02.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Distinguishing the two is important, since viral infections cannot be cured by [[antibiotic]]s whereas bacterial infections can.<ref>{{cite book| title =The Truth About Illness and Disease|author1=Robert N. Golden |author2=Fred Peterson |publisher= Infobase Publishing|page=181|isbn= 978-1438126371|year=2009 }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+Comparison of viral and bacterial infection
|-
! Characteristic
! [[Viral disease|Viral infection]]
! [[Pathogenic bacteria|Bacterial infection]]
|-
|| Typical symptoms
| In general, viral infections are systemic. This means they involve many different parts of the body or more than one body system at the same time; i.e. a runny nose, sinus congestion, cough, body aches etc. They can be local at times as in viral [[conjunctivitis]] or "pink eye" and herpes. Only a few viral infections are painful, like [[Herpes simplex virus|herpes]]. The pain of viral infections is often described as itchy or burning.<ref name="nipa"/>
| The classic symptoms of a bacterial infection are localized redness, heat, swelling and pain. One of the hallmarks of a bacterial infection is local pain, pain that is in a specific part of the body. For example, if a cut occurs and is infected with bacteria, pain occurs at the site of the infection. Bacterial throat pain is often characterized by more pain on one side of the throat. An [[ear infection]] is more likely to be diagnosed as bacterial if the pain occurs in only one ear.<ref name=nipa/> A cut that produces pus and milky-colored liquid is most likely infected.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Rencare |url=http://www.rencareltd.com/conditions/infections/ |title=Infection |access-date=4 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305023556/http://www.rencareltd.com/conditions/infections/ |archive-date=March 5, 2012 }}</ref>
|-
| Cause || [[Pathogenic viruses]] || [[Pathogenic bacteria]]
|}