Question:
Why are antibiotics not effective for viral diseases?
(CCE 2011, 2012)
Solution:
Antibiotics are effective against bacteria and some other non-viral pathogens as they block some of their biosynthetic pathways without affecting human beings. However, viruses do not have their own metabolic machinery. There are very few biochemical processes that can block viral multiplication. Antibiotics are not effective against them. They can be over-powered only by specific anti-viral drugs.