Treating viral infections

[Celt]

In a SHTF scenario how do you treat a viral infection like meningitis, encephalitis, smallpox? I am under the understanding that antibiotics are only viable for a bacterial infection is this correct?

[Reasonable Rascal]

Antibiotics *are* effective only for bacterial infections, quite true. There are some viral inhibitors on the market, but they are very exprensive and not Rx'ed routinely save for certain specific infections, HIV being a prime example.

Care for viral infections - smallpox, etc - is going to be supportive. You may treat secondary infections, if they occur, with antibiotics, but they won't do anything for the original viral infection.

The best defense we have is vaccines, when available, and isolation otherwise. Good nutrition, maintaining your imuune system, etc.

Good question though. Just wish I had a more positive answer for you.

RR

[tangent]

meningitis and encephalitis can have eithor bacterial or viral causes, bacterial forms of menengitis can be treated w/ antibiotics or sulfonamides. The only tx for the viral form is prolonged bed rest, darkness and quiet. it ranks right up there with childbirth and kidney stones on the pain scale (an 11 on a scale of 1-10). A good argument for the stockpiling the strongest pain killer you can talk your Dr into writing a script for, and push for morephine!

smallpox sometimes responds to tx w/ methisazone. it is highly contagious through the whole cource of the disease, which usually lasts about a month. strict isolation is called for.