A Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered. Symptoms of secondary bacterial infections are the same as bacterial infections that occur on their own, except they happen simultaneously with or right after treatment for another infection. Secondary usually indicates symptoms are more severe and/or prolonged. With secondary bacterial infections, fevers will often run higher and longer than with general infections. A runny nose that persists for longer than a couple of weeks may indicate sinusitis, while ear pain points toward an ear infection.