Can you catch viral infections

The infectious period often begins before you start to feel unwell or notice a rash. Bronchitis The length of time that bronchitis is infectious varies, depending on its cause.

Chickenpox Chickenpox is infectious from 2 days before the spots appear to until they have crusted over, usually 5 days after they first appeared. Common cold The common cold is infectious from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone.

Flu Flu is usually most infectious from the day your symptoms start and for a further 3 to 7 days. Children and people with lowered immune systems may be infectious for a few days longer. Glandular fever Glandular fever isn't particularly contagious and can usually only be spread through direct contact with saliva, which is why it's sometimes called "the kissing disease".

There's no reason not to continue to go to school or work if you feel well enough. Measles Symptoms of measles appear around 10 days after you become infected. Measles is most infectious after the first symptoms appear and before the rash develops.

First symptoms of measles include: a high temperature red eyes cold-like symptoms — such as a runny nose, watery eyes, swollen eyelids and sneezing Around 2 to 4 days later, a red-brown spotty rash develops that normally fades after about a week. Mumps Mumps causes your salivary glands to swell. Mumps is most infectious from a few days before your glands swell until a few days afterwards.

The common cold is caused by a number of different viruses, although rhinoviruses are most often the culprit. In some cases, a secondary bacterial infection may develop during or following a cold. Common examples of secondary bacterial infections include:.

You should avoid using mucus color to determine whether you have a viral or bacterial infection. In fact, green mucus is actually caused by substances released by your immune cells in response to a foreign invader. When you experience symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps, you likely have a stomach bug.

But is it due to a viral or bacterial infection? Gastroenteritis and food poisoning can be caused by both viruses and bacteria. Regardless of the cause, many times your symptoms will go away in a day or two with good home care. However, symptoms that last longer than 3 days, cause bloody diarrhea, or lead to severe dehydration may indicate a more severe infection that requires prompt medical treatment.

Sometimes your doctor may be able to diagnose your condition based on your medical history and your symptoms. For example, conditions like measles or chickenpox have very characteristic symptoms that can be diagnosed with a simple physical examination. An example is influenza , which causes seasonal epidemics in the cold months of every year.

If your doctor wants to know what type of organism may be causing your condition, they may take a sample to culture. Samples that can be used for culture vary by the suspected condition, but they can include:.

In the case of a bacterial infection, it can also help them determine which antibiotic may be helpful in treating your condition. Antibiotics are medications used to treat bacterial infections.

There are many types of antibiotics, but they all work to keep bacteria from effectively growing and dividing. Despite the fact that you should only take antibiotics for a bacterial infection, antibiotics are often requested for viral infections. This is dangerous because over-prescribing antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria adapt to be able to resist certain antibiotics.

It can make many bacterial infections more difficult to treat. Skipping doses can prevent killing all of the pathogenic bacteria. Treatment is typically focused on relieving symptoms, while your body works to clear the infection. This can include things like:. Some examples include medications like oseltamivir Tamiflu for influenza or valacyclovir Valtrex for herpes simplex or herpes zoster shingles viral infections.

Be sure to wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom, and before and after handling food. Many vaccines are available to help prevent various viral and bacterial illnesses. Examples of vaccine-preventable diseases include:. Antibiotics need to be saved to treat severe bacterial infections. You can stay vaccinated against viruses that cause some infections, such as the flu , measles , Rubella German measles , mumps , hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

Vaccination or previous infection means that when you encounter the virus again, you are likely to have fewer symptoms and a faster recovery, or you may not get sick at all. However, some viruses, such as those that cause the common cold, can change from one person to the next. Vaccination for these kinds of viruses is difficult because the viruses have already changed by the time vaccines are developed.

Viruses spread easily from person to person. The following links provide further information about viral infections. Be aware that websites from other countries may have information that differs from New Zealand recommendations.

The content on this page will be of most use to clinicians, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists, specialists and other healthcare providers.