They are capable of latching onto cells and getting inside them. The cells of the mucous membranes, such as those lining the respiratory passages that we breathe through, are particularly open to virus attacks because they are not covered by protective skin. Bacteria are organisms made up of just one cell and are too tiny to be seen by the naked eye. They are capable of multiplying all by themselves, as they have the power to divide. Their shapes vary, and doctors use words like balls, sticks or spirals to separate them into groups.
Bacteria exist everywhere, inside and on our bodies.
Most of them are completely harmless and some of them are very useful. But some bacteria can cause diseases, either because they end up in the wrong place in the body or simply because they are designed to invade us. Viral and bacterial infections are both spread in basically the same ways. Bacterial infections are usually treated with a special antibiotic that only kills the bacterium which has caused the disease. To make sure that you get the right treatment, your doctor may take a sample.