Infectious Disease

We all get sick from time to time. It’s hard to avoid many seasonal illnesses and common viruses. But some infections are more dangerous than others. They can be hard to treat or cause long-term or life-threatening health problems.

You may need special care if you’re sick and:

Recently visited a foreign country
Recently had surgery or stayed in a hospital
Were bitten by a tick, mosquito or animal
Were exposed to someone with HIV, viral hepatitis or another contagious disease
Have unexplained symptoms like high fever, rash, severe headache or diarrhea or trouble breathing

Infectious disease specialists at PeaceHealth diagnose and treat diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. They’ll work closely with your primary care doctor and other specialists when needed, so you’re cared for effectively and quickly.

Infectious disease care at PeaceHealth

Find advanced, aggressive care for infectious diseases

Experienced doctors

Many of our doctors have advanced training (called fellowship training) in infectious disease. Others have extra training in HIV medicine, hyperbaric medicine, critical care medicine or clinical research.

Outpatient infusion treatments

PeaceHealth offers IV antibiotic therapy in our convenient, comfortable outpatient clinic. This helps some patients with serious infections — including cellulitis, MRSA and sepsis — avoid a hospital stay.

Multispecialty care

Our infectious disease team works with many specialists at PeaceHealth, including brain, heart, kidney, liver and skin experts. We’re able to treat most complications in nearly every part of the body.

Hyperbaric medicine

PeaceHealth offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy for serious infections. It increases the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream to help fight bacteria and promote healing in infected bone, skin or other tissue.

Conditions We Treat

Foodborne or waterborne illnesses

Certain bacteria, parasites or viruses can contaminate food or water. These include Escherichia coli (E. coli), giardia, listeria, salmonella and Vibrio cholerae (cholera).

General infections

When viruses or bacteria enter the bloodstream, they can harm a single organ or several parts of the body. We treat infections in the:

Bladder (cystitis)
Bones (osteomyelitis)
Brain (encephalitis)
Colon (colitis)
Heart (endocarditis)
Kidneys (pyelonephritis)
Liver (hepatitis)
Spinal cord (meningitis)

Respiratory and pulmonary infections

Some bacteria, fungi and viruses cause infections in the respiratory tract or lungs. These include influenza, tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Sexually transmitted infections

Certain bacteria can cause infections in the skin, muscles, ligaments or tendons. These include cellulitis, folliculitis, MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and other Staphylococcus (“staph”) infections.

Surgical infections

Having any type of surgery raises your risk of getting an infection. We treat infections in surgical wounds, artificial joints and other implanted devices like cardiac pacemakers.

Tick-related or insect-related illnesses

Ticks, mosquitos and other insects can spread diseases when they bite or sting. These illnesses include:

Dengue fever
Lyme disease
Malaria
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
West Nile virus
Zika virus

Treatments Provided

HIV and AIDS clinic

HIV specialists at PeaceHealth provide ongoing care to people at risk for, or living with, HIV or AIDS. We offer up-to-date treatment strategies, including access to clinical trials. It all takes place in a caring and supportive environment.

Pediatric infectious disease care

PeaceHealth offers specialized care for children with infectious diseases. We treat a broad range of pediatric illnesses including HIV, measles, meningitis, mumps, RSV and whooping cough.

Travel clinic

Our travel medicine specialists offer education and preventive care to people traveling abroad. We’ll look up health risks in the region you’re going to and teach you how to prevent illness. We also provide vaccinations against tropical diseases and other infections.