What are infectious diseases and how are they transmitted?

An infection is a disorder caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, more commonly known as germs. Medical professionals refer to different types of infections as infectious diseases. Medical professionals whose medical specialty is in treating infectious diseases are called infectious diseases physicians. Infectious diseases physicians study and treat germs that can spread from person to person, some from animals, and others from dirty water, food, or environments.

There are good and helpful bacteria living inside of us and on our skin as well. The good bacteria helps our bodies stay healthy and maintain our daily activities of living. Sometimes however, bad bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can get inside of us or on our skin that can cause an infectious disease. Examples of infectious diseases include Zika and dengue fever, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis A, B, and C, West Nile encephalitis and malaria, sexually transmitted diseases, and others.

Request an appointment with an infectious disease physician today.

When might you need to see a infectious diseases physician?

Do you or a loved one suffer from an infection or infectious diseases? Infectious diseases are studied, diagnosed, and treated by infectious disease physicians. Adults, children, and adolescents can be infected by such diseases. Symptoms you may notice may include a fever, redness, soreness or swelling in an area, chills or sweats, and nausea or vomiting.

You might wish to consult an infectious diseases physician when:

●  An infection is hard to identify on your own
●  An infection is accompanied by a high fever
●  Response to treatment is poor
●  Treating your infection becomes a part of your overall care or interrupting daily activities

With specialized training and diagnostic technologies, our infectious diseases specialists can help find the cause of your infection and the best treatment methods for you or a loved one at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

Enquire with our infectious disease physicians.

Why you should consider our infectious disease physicians in Singapore

With specialized training and diagnostic technologies, our infectious diseases physicians can help find the cause of your infection and the best treatment methods for you or a loved one at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

Through rigorous diagnosis, clinical care, and rehabilitation, our specialists can slow down the progress of your condition, alleviate pain, and help you or your loved ones embark on the road to recovery.

Major Areas of Specialisation

Below are some of the conditions our specialists treat. Our infectious disease physicians are up-to-date with current infectious diseases that are active in the Southeast Asian and Asian regions and beyond, in order to provide holistic and treatment for you and your loved ones.

  • Anthrax
  • Botulism
  • Chickenpox
  • Chikungunya Fever
  • Cholera
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Dengue fever
  • Diphtheria
  • Erythema infectiosum (fifth disease)
  • Food poisoning
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease
  • Hand, foot, and mouth disease
  • Human Immunodeficiency virus
  • Human and avian influenza
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • Legionellosis
  • Leprosy
  • Malaria
  • Measles
  • Meliodosis
  • Meningcoccal disease
  • Mumps
  • Nipah virus disease
  • Pertussis
  • Plague
  • Pneumococcal disease
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Rabies
  • Rubella
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
  • Sexually transmitted infections
  • Shigellosis (bacillary dysentry)
  • Smallpox
  • Travellers’ health consultation
  • Tuberculosis
  • Tularemia
  • Typhoid and paratyphoid fever
  • Typhus
  • Vaccinations and medication
    • Anti-malarial medication
    • Hepatitis A and B
    • Influenza
    • Japanese Encephalitis
    • Measles, mumps, and rubella
    • Rabies
    • Typhoid fever
    • Yellow fever
  • Viralhepatitis
  • Yellow fever

Did you know?

Bacteria are single-cell organisms that can reproduce on their own. They can survive in the human body and most are harmless. Some even help the body digest food and fight harmful cells.

Viruses are smaller than bacteria and comprise a protein coat and a genetic material core. Viruses can only survive and reproduce by attaching themselves to living cells, and making them generate new viruses. Most viruses cause disease.