Virus or Bacteria?

Viruses are only one kind of microbial invader. In fact, many of history's deadliest diseases have bacterial, rather than viral, causes. Take the infamous Black Death, or bubonic plague, which wiped out a third of Europe, China, and the Islamic world in the 14th century. Or tuberculosis, an ancient airborne disease that rose to alarming prominence in the 19th century as humans packed into crowded cities.

Don't blame viruses for these scourges. Blame bacteria, which are another kind of "germ" entirely. Here's a quick look at the not-so-microbial difference between the two.

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