What do viruses/bacteria exactly do inside of our bodies that makes them dangerous and causes us to get sick?
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It depends on the virus/bacteria. They all have their own mechanisms and so they all produce different systemic responses.
For example; beta hemolytic streptococcus produces its own super toxin.
When you have tonsillitis caused by strep, it’s not just a sore throat, but this toxin that causes you to feel so awful.
In rare cases this toxin can cause a cytokine cascade resulting in shock or organ death. This is commonly known as Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome.
Broadly speaking whether or not it comes down to the pathogen or our bodies immune response, it’s a little of column A, a little of column B, and a little of column C (which I’d put in underlying conditions, overall health and susceptibility etc)
Have a look into how the drugs for malaria target the pathogen at a **very** specific part of its lifecycle. It’s pretty much the same with all drugs. Everything has its nuance and treatments can be tailored to target a very specific process. Really clever what we can do!
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