Why Don’t Adults Get Fevers?
This Week’s Question: I remember having lots of fevers as a kid, but, now that I’m older, I don’t get them like I used to. What gives? The immune system doesn’t function as efficiently in older adults as it does in younger people. The body's fever response to infection is not always automatic in elderly people. More than 20 percent of adults over age 65 who have serious bacterial infections do not have fevers. This brings us to germs, which are defined as microbes that cause disease. Infectious diseases caused by microbes are the leading cause of death. Microbes are microscopic organisms that are everywhere. Some microbes cause disease. Others are essential for health. Most microbes belong to one of four major groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa. Bacteria are made up of only one cell. Less than 1 percent of them cause diseases in humans. Harmless bacteria live in human intestines, where they help to digest food. Foods such as yogurt and cheese, are made using ba...