What’s a primary infection?

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Primary infection has two meanings and can be either the first signs that a person/living being is infected or a hierarchy of infections starting with a single disease. In the second definition, a person with a virus such as a cold could get a bacterial chest infection such as bronchitis. These could be labeled as primary and secondary infections, both resulting from the original cold. On the other hand, primary infection resulting from first contact with a viral or bacterial source could mean the first known signs of such an infection. These are often identified as specific symptoms.

The first symptoms of a primary disease or infection are often identified in diseases that continue to live in the body and become chronic. Genital herpes is one such disease. Sores that develop on the genitals or surrounding areas usually mark the first infection after exposure and can last for several weeks. Other symptoms such as headache, pain, flu-like sensations, fever or swollen glands may also be present and may not occur as often in later manifestations of the disease.

When people get herpes blisters again, the condition is called recurrent instead of being called a primary infection. The first response to viral contagion is primary, and all other expressions of the disease are recurrent, demonstrating its chronic nature. Other diseases that have a primary infection include conditions such as HIV/AIDS, other herpes viruses such as chicken pox, and some forms of hepatitis. It should be noted with all of these that the symptoms from initial exposure may be slightly different from the way the disease expresses itself later; they are the first immune response to exposure to an infectious agent.

There are many instances where primary and secondary are used to describe a disease causing multiple infections. These infections are often viral/bacterial in nature. Many people contract viruses that weaken the immune system and can lead to secondary bacterial infections. The primary infection is therefore the original virus, but its ability to predispose people to bacterial infections may mean that doctors are on high alert.

With a virus like genital herpes, poor sore care can occasionally lead to skin infections or cellulitis. While a doctor wouldn’t treat a herpes infection with antibiotics because it’s viral in origin, they might use antibiotics if the herpes blisters become infected, to kill the secondary infection. Antibiotics would have no effect on the primary infection but could address a secondary one.

Many flu viruses are prone to causing secondary infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, or sinus and ear infections. Again, antibiotics could be used to address them. Yet they would not get rid of the flu, which is viral. People more prone to secondary infections of this type may have reduced immune systems, and in medically vulnerable people, watching for secondary infections is very important with some diseases

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