Dr. Forest Arnold, Infectious Diseases Specialist at the University of Louisville Hospital, is trying to stay one step ahead of the germs that are causing life-threatening illnesses. But it’s difficult — especially when the germs are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
“The germs are getting smarter, and we don’t have as much ammunition,” Dr. Arnold says.
Superbugs, he says, are strains of bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics, which lowers an infected person’s risk for survival. “If you have an infection due to a superbug that is causing a disease, there is no treatment.”
Ironically, the deadly bacteria result from the overuse of antibiotics. “Our parents and grandparents over-asked for antibiotics and wanted them for their colds,” Dr. Arnold says. “But antibiotics are for bacteria. Viruses cause colds and mono, so it doesn’t do any good to treat a virus with an antibiotic.”
Dr. Arnold, who is also the Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville, says he hopes to reduce the prevalence of pneumonia. “What is nice about being at UofL is that we are the headquarters for a pneumonia network, and so the research we do is not just with the patients from Louisville, but we get people involved from all over the United States and all over the world. And that is exciting to be able to work with people and see how pneumonia is approached in different countries.”
Read more about our Men In White in the August issue.
-Tiffany White
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