infection.org

Causes of Infection

There are four major types of infections: bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. Infections caused by bacteria include sore throat, ear infections, boils and sinusitis; Viruses cause such reactions as measles, mumps, chicken pox, flu and polio. An infection caused by fungi might show up as athlete’s foot and other itchy rashes that show up in damp skin folds. Protozoa cause such diseases as malaria, thanks to the intestinal worms that invade the body. Treatment for each of the major causes for symptoms will depend largely upon the significance of the organism doing the attack and the parts of the body that are under attack.