Welcome

Infectious Disease Associates’ mission is to provide consultation for patients in our service area who have been diagnosed with complicated and complex infections that are often beyond the scope of primary care. Although the great majority of infections experienced during a person's life are brief and self-limited, an occasional long lasting or troublesome infection may occur and require the care of a physician. Should the problem then be identified as either difficult to cure or life threatening, our infectious disease physicians are consulted to provide additional diagnostic and treatment.

Our physicians specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. The infectious disease practice is designed to meet the needs of patients in the hospital and in the outpatient setting. Experts within the specialty work to identify and treat infections that arise from exposure to infectious diseases, or that follow organ transplantation and other surgical procedures.

Here at Infectious Disease Associates, we also practice HIV medicine. We have an interest in seeing that the general health of our patients, who may have associated conditions that impact their infection, is maintained.

Much of our work is done in collaboration with physicians in other specialties. We manage patients who require outpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy and assist in the treatment of blood and body fluid exposures in the workplace.

Infectious Diseases: What are they?
An infectious disease is a disease caused by bacterial, viral, fungal or protozoan infection. Though some infectious diseases are not contagious, others may be transmitted from animal to person (bird flu and cat scratch disease) or from person to person (MRSA, HIV and other STD’s).

Infectious diseases are also called communicable diseases. Infectious disease kill more people worldwide than any other single cause. Infectious diseases are caused by germs. Germs are tiny living things that are found everywhere – in air, soil, and water. You can get infected by touching, eating, drinking or breathing something that contains a germ. Germs can also be spread through animal and insect bites, kissing and sexual contact. Vaccines, proper hand washing and medicine can help prevent infections.

There are four main kinds of germs:
• Bacteria – one-celled germs that multiply quickly and may release chemicals which can make you sick
• Viruses – capsules that contain genetic material and use your own cells to multiply
• Fungi – primitive vegetables like mushrooms or mildew
• Protozoa – one-celled animals that use other living things for food and a place to live