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Acute bronchitis: Is it contagious?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acute-bronchitis/AN01441
- 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 a consultant in the Division of Infectious Diseases 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 and a fellow of the American College of Physicians and of 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 of the executive committee of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He also served on the editorial boards of "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" and "Antimicrobial Agents and 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.
Symptoms (1)
- Trouble breathing: Could it be asthma?
Causes (1)
- Acute bronchitis: Is it contagious?
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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.
Next questionTrouble breathing: Could it be asthma?
- Walsh EE. Acute bronchitis. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00061-8. Accessed Aug. 24, 2010.
- Shoemaker DM, et al. Infectious diseases. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/216096560-2/0/1481/218.html?tocnode=53392697&fromURL=218.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2467-5..50024-5_911. Accessed Aug. 24, 2010.
- Moffa DA Jr., et al. Bronchitis, pneumonia, and pleural empyema. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2004. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=591464. Accessed Aug. 24, 2010.
- File TM Jr. Acute bronchitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 24, 2010.
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