- With Mayo Clinic internist
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
James Steckelberg, M.D.
Dr. James Steckelberg is chairman of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic, a consultant and a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School.
A native of Fremont, Neb., Dr. Steckelberg was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine as a resident in internal medicine and a fellow in infectious diseases, and is board certified in both. He is the former director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Steckelberg belongs to numerous professional organizations. He is a founding member of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society of America and a fellow with the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He has served on many Mayo Clinic committees and is a member of the Department of Medicine Leadership Committee and the executive committee of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He also served on the editorial boards of "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" and "Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy" and has been an editorial reviewer for more than a dozen publications.
Dr. Steckelberg's research interests include experimental models of infection, epidemiology of infection, and antimicrobial resistance and therapy of bacterial infections.
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Question
Acute bronchitis: Is it contagious?
Is acute bronchitis contagious?
Answer
from James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
In otherwise healthy people, most cases of acute bronchitis are caused by viral infections — which can spread from person to person through direct and indirect contact. To reduce the risk of "catching" bronchitis, wash your hands often or use hand sanitizers regularly. It's also helpful to get an annual flu vaccination. Many cases of acute bronchitis result from influenza.
Sometimes people who have chronic bronchitis or asthma also develop acute bronchitis. When acute bronchitis develops as a complication of a chronic disease, it's less likely to be contagious.
- Bartlett JG. Acute bronchitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 14, 2008.
