- Beta-lactam antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections because they target the bacterial cell wall synthesis, a structure absent in viruses.
- Viruses replicate inside host cells and lack cell walls, making them inherently resistant to beta-lactam action.
- Antiviral drugs, in contrast, specifically inhibit viral replication mechanisms.
- Therefore, beta-lactams have no role in treating viral infections and their use in such cases is inappropriate and ineffective.

Reference: Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, 24th Edition, Chapter: Infectious Diseases, Page 1103.