Which of the following correctly explain the effect that treating a viral infection with antibiotics has on the course of the infection?
A) The infection's length will remain the same because antibiotics have no effect on eukaryotic or virally encoded enzymes.
B) The infection's length will remain the same because viruses do not have DNA or RNA, and so antibiotics do not affect them.
C) The infection's length will be shorter because antibiotics activate the immune system, and this decreases the severity of the infection.
D) The infection's length will be shorter because antibiotics can prevent viral entry into the cell by binding to host-receptor proteins.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antibiotics target bacteria, not viruses, and have no effect on viral infections because they do not act on eukaryotic or virally encoded enzymes. Viruses are neither eukaryotic cells nor do they possess metabolic pathways that antibiotics can inhibit.

Which of the Following Correctly Explain the Effect That Treating