Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases are caused by germs that spread from person to person. UCHealth specialists are trained to diagnose, treat and help prevent them.
Specialists in treating infectious disease
The infectious disease specialists at UCHealth are recognized for their work in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond.
Our multidisciplinary care team has extensive experience in diagnosing and managing a wide range of infectious diseases, and providing access to the latest treatments.
Our providers practice compassionate patient care, serve our communities by educating the public, and conduct research to advance medical knowledge and find new and better ways of managing disease.
Our nationally-recognized HIV/AIDS program
The HIV/AIDS Clinical Program at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care and exceptional clinical outcomes for patients with HIV.
We offer PrEP at our Infectious Disease clinic at UCH. PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a daily medicine regimen for people at risk of getting HIV. It is considered highly effective when taken as indicated.
We also offer access to experimental treatments through clinical trials and research with The Colorado AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (ACTU).
Bacterial infections
Bacterial infections are caused when infectious bacteria enter your body, reproduce and often give off toxins that can make you sick. Many kinds of bacteria actually help our bodily processes, while only about 1 percent make people sick.
Some kinds of bacterial infections include:
- Bone and joint infections
- Staphylococcus (“staph”) infections (non-MRSA
- Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureas (MRSA)
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Lyme disease
- Tuberculosis
Viral infections
Viruses are tiny capsules that contain genetic material. Much smaller than bacteria, they invade cells in the body and use them to multiply and reproduce. This can kill the cells and make you sick.
Some common viral infections include:
- AIDS & HIV
- COVID-19
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis C
- Influenza
- Viral pneumonia
- West Nile virus
Fungal infections
Fungal infections are caused by tiny spores in the air. These spores are often inhaled into our lungs or they land on our skin. Only about half of all spores are harmful to people. Fungal infections range from yeast infections to serious lung infections.
They include:
- Blastomycosis
- Candidiasis (yeast infection)
- Coccidioidymycosis (Valley Fever)
- Cryptococcosis
- Fungal sinusitis
- Fungal pneumonia
- Histoplasmosis
- Sporotrichosis
Lung infections
Lung infectious can vary widely in their severity. Your UCHealth provider will develop a treatment plan to match.