Curing, treating and preventing disease

Question 1

Explain how a vaccination action prevents infection

Answer 1

Vaccines contain either a greatly weakened form of the bacterium or virus that causes a disease, or a small part of it. When the body detects the contents of the vaccine its immune system will be primed to make the antibodies needed to fight off the infection

Question 2

Explain why antibiotics can not be used to treat measles

Answer 2

antibiotics don’t kill viruses
(because measles) virus / pathogen lives inside cells

Question 3

Explain why prescribing an antibiotic will not cure HIV.

Answer 3

HIV is a virus
(and) antibiotics are only effective against bacteria

Question 4

Why do antibiotics become less useful at treating an infection if the antibiotic is overused?

Answer 4

(bacteria / pathogens) develop resistance (to antibiotic)

Question 5

Explain fully why antibiotics cannot be used to cure viral disease

Answer 5

viruses live inside cells
viruses inaccessible to antibiotic