Prion Despite many attempts, to date no therapy has been shown to halt the progression of prion diseases. Virus A variety of prevention and treatment options exist for some viral<unk> s. Vaccines are one common and effective preventive measure against a variety of viral<unk> s. Vaccines prime the immune system of the host, so that when the potential host encounters the virus in the wild, the immune system can defend against infection quickly. Vaccines exist for viruses such as the measles, mumps, and rubella viruses and the influenza virus. Some viruses such as HIV, dengue, and chikungunya do not have vaccines available. Treatment of viral infections often involves treating the symptoms of the infection rather than providing any medication that affects the viral<unk>  itself. Treating the symptoms of a viral infection gives the host immune system time to develop antibodies against the viral<unk>  which will then clear the infection. In some cases, treatment against the virus is necessary. One example of this is HIV where antiretroviral therapy, also known as ART or HAART, is needed to prevent immune cell loss and the progression into AIDS. Bacteria A structure of Doxycycline a tetracycline-class antibiotic Much like viral<unk> s, infection by certain bacterial<unk> s can be prevented via vaccines. Vaccines against bacterial<unk> s include the anthrax vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine. Many other bacterial<unk> s lack vaccines as a preventive measure, but infection by these bacteria can often be treated or prevented with antibiotics. Common antibiotics include amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline. Each antibiotic has different bacteria that it is effective against and has different mechanisms to kill that bacteria. For example, doxycycline inhibits the synthesis of new proteins in both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria which leads to the death of the affected bacteria. Due in part to over-prescribing antibiotics in circumstances where they are not needed, some bacterial<unk> s have developed antibiotic resistance and are becoming hard to treat with classical antibiotics. A genetically distinct strain of Staphylococcus aureus called MRSA is one example of a bacterial<unk>  that is difficult to treat with common antibiotics. A report released in 2013 by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that each year in the United States, at least 2 million people get an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection, and at least 23,000 people die from those infections. Due to their indispensability in Bacteria, essential persistent DNA methyltransferases are potential targets for the development of epigenetic inhibitors capable of, for example, enhance the therapeutic activity of antimicrobials, or decrease a<unk> 's virulence. Fungi Infection by fungal<unk> s is treated with anti-fungal medication. Fungal infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm are infections of the skin and can be treated with topical anti-fungal medications like Clotrimazole. Other common fungal infections include infections by the yeast strain Candida albicans. Candida can cause infections of the mouth or throat, commonly referred to as thrush, or it can cause vaginal infections. These internal infections can either be treated with anti-fungal creams or with oral medication. Common anti-fungal drugs for internal infections include the Echinocandin family of drugs and Fluconazole. Algae Algae are commonly not thought of as<unk> s, but the genus Prototheca is known to cause disease in humans. Treatment for this kind of infection is currently under investigation and there is no consistency in clinical treatment.
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