Physicians in our Infectious Diseases Division specialize in the treatment of individuals with diseases or conditions caused by infectious agents, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. These infectious diseases are becoming increasingly severe threats to public health, despite new and improved antimicrobial therapies. Our physicians are available for consultation on a wide variety of infectious conditions. We can provide guidance on evaluations that may lead to the identification of potential infectious illnesses. Consultation is available for the management of difficult-to-treat organisms.
We treat a wide variety of infectious diseases conditions, adhering to standards of evidence-based medicine in accordance with nationally published guidelines and standards.
Outpatient Consultations
We accept self-referrals for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and pre-international travel evaluations. Physician referrals are required for all other requests.
UConn Health providers can request a consult through Epic, and outside providers can call the Physician Referral Line at 860-679-5555 to initiate the referral process. Prospective patients can call 1-84-GET-UCONN or request an appointment. Prior to making an appointment, we require a review of records by one of our Infectious Diseases physicians. Please do not fax any information to our office until contacted by our Infectious Diseases staff. Only requests following the above process will be reviewed.
Specialty Areas
Adult Vaccination
We offer a wide range of vaccines to protect adults from preventable illnesses, serving as a resource for vaccines that may be challenging to attain in the primary care setting. We work with local animal control officers and others who may be exposed to rabies to provide ongoing vaccination for disease prevention.
Bone and Joint Infections
Our physicians provide antibiotic management of bone and joint infections, including those related to joint replacement surgery and complicated soft tissue infections. We offer management of outpatient intravenous antibiotics and their complications.
HIV/AIDS
Our physicians provide the full spectrum of management for individuals infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. UConn Health is a Ryan White service provider and provides a broad range of HIV-related services, including injectable antiviral therapies, adherence support, and linkages to HIV-related ancillary services. Our physicians also offer evaluations for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for patients who are HIV-negative and wish to reduce their risk of HIV.
Immunosuppressive Therapy
Our physicians offer pre-therapy evaluations for patients planning to undergo therapy with biologic immunosuppressive medications to treat psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions. Preventative strategies, including vaccination, can be identified to avoid infectious complications.
International Travel Medicine
Our International Traveler’s Medical Service provides pre-travel counseling and immunization to avoid unnecessary risks from unfamiliar but preventable diseases when traveling to developing areas of the world. We are a certified Yellow Fever Vaccination Center. We offer post-travel follow-up for individuals who may become ill as a result of their travels.
Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria
Our providers specialize in the diagnosis and management of non-tuberculous mycobacteria and manage long-term antibiotic therapy necessary for treatment.
Tick-Borne Illnesses
Connecticut is endemic to several tick-borne infections including Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and other less-common tick-borne illnesses. Our providers follow the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in evaluating, diagnosing, and managing these conditions.
Tuberculosis and Tuberculosis Exposure
Our providers specialize in the management of tuberculosis (TB), including those with latent TB, positive PPD tests, and/or positive QuantiFERON testing. We offer evaluations and medications to prevent the reactivation of clinical illness.
Viral Hepatitis
Our providers specialize in the evaluation and ongoing management of patients with hepatitis B and C, including the implementation of antiviral therapy. They also collaborate with our gastroenterologists for patients with hepatitis-related liver cirrhosis.
Focus On
UConn Health Minute: Flu Season During COVID-19
As if the COVID-19 pandemic isn't bad enough, the flu season is not far away. How severe will the flu season be as it converges with the COVID-19 outbreak? What can we do to prepare? UConn Health’s infectious disease specialist Dr. David Banach discusses the best defense against influenza, which also may protect against coronavirus.
Specialty Pharmacy
The UConn Health Specialty Pharmacy can fill any specialty medications prescribed to you by your health care team. In addition to having access to these specialized prescriptions, we have a dedicated Specialty Pharmacy liaison who can assist with everything from refills to navigating insurance to finding ways to make your prescriptions more affordable. To learn more, visit the Specialty Pharmacy website.