What is the difference between a viral infection and a bacterial infection?

What's the difference between a viral and bacterial infection in terms of symptoms?

• Answer:

  There are few symptoms that are different. For example, viral infections will spike sudden high fast temperatures but bacterial infections often have slower elevations of temperature but can also become very high also. Viral infections have clear drainage when coughing or when having nasal drainage. Bacterial infections will have secretions from coughs and nose that are green, yellow, greenish-yellow, icky yellow-brown, etc. Viral infections will resolve on their own in about 3 to 5 days. Some bacterial infections will linger for a long time and may need medical intervention with antibiotics. There are few viral infections that can be treated with medicine, they just have to be kicked by the bodies defences. Here is a website that gives a lot of good information: http://www.aware.md/Education/virusvsbacteria.asp