Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Several decades ago, it seemed as though infectious diseases were no longer a pressing public health threat. Immunizations and effective antibiotics had taken care of a litany of childhood illnesses and brought epidemics such as polio and tuberculosis under control. In 1977, smallpox was eradicated. It was an event that many authorities considered the most important medical accomplishment of the 20th century.

Today, though, with the specter of terrorism, smallpox has reemerged in the public consciousness. Clearly, as we now know, old diseases, sometimes in drug-resistant forms, rebound; new ones, such as HIV/AIDS, emerge.

At Johns Hopkins, the Division of Infectious Diseases works to prevent illness, disability and death caused by infectious diseases. In the past two decades, the HIV pandemic and its fellow travelers, tuberculosis, hepatitis C and STDs, have been our biggest challenges. Our AIDS Service was established in January 1984 with the opening of the Moore Clinic, an outpatient unit for patients with HIV infection. Our 21-bed AIDS inpatient unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital opened in 1986 and now averages between 700-800 admissions a year. We participate in multiple clinical trials, and our many specialists provide the expertise of their disciplines to patients with HIV infection.