Measles and tuberculosis are diseases that are transmitted exclusively through the air. There are several other diseases that are spread through respiratory droplets, which can exist in the air or on surfaces.
Airborne infections are spread when bacteria or viruses travel on dust particles or small respiratory droplets that are aerosolized when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Healthy people can inhale the infectious droplets or the droplets can get into their eyes, nose, and mouth.
Some airborne diseases, such as chickenpox, do not have a specific treatment. However, medications and other supportive care can help relieve symptoms. Some, like the flu, can be treated with antiviral drugs. Treatment for babies with whooping cough may include antibiotics, and hospitalization is often needed.
No, the virus that causes Ebola is not spread through the air. The Ebola virus is not spread by small droplets that linger in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes, as it is with a cold or the flu.
It is possible through the eyes, but probably not through the ears. As with the nose and mouth, doctors say that the eyes can be a route of infection if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes nearby.
Antibiotics are useless against viral infections. This is due to the fact that viruses are so basic that they rely on their host cells to carry out their functions. Therefore, antiviral drugs work differently from antibiotics, by interfering with viral enzymes.