Augusta University
Rodger MacArthur, MD
Professor
- Augusta GA UNITED STATES
- Department of Medicine: Infectious Disease
A widely recognized expert in COVID-19, HIV antiretroviral therapy, resistance to antiretroviral drugs, and sepsis.
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Biography
Rodger D. MacArthur recently joined the Medical College of Georgia faculty after spending 20 years in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan. He is an NIH-funded researcher, formerly heading the WSU AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) Clinical Research Site. Dr. MacArthur is widely recognized as an expert in HIV antiretroviral therapy, resistance to antiretroviral drugs, and sepsis. His current research interests include antiretroviral resistance; adherence to antiretroviral therapy, especially in underrepresented populations; influenza; and Clostridium difficile colitis. He previously served on several ACTG committees, including the ACTG Underrepresented Populations Committee. Currently, he is the HIV Medicine Association liaison to the IDSA Public Health Committee. His current clinical interests, besides HIV, sepsis, influenza, and Clostridium difficile colitis, are in the area of Global Health. Dr. MacArthur is extensively published, with over 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is an ad hoc reviewer for the NIH and the Ontario HIV Trials Network (OHTN). He is a Fellow in the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and in the American College of Physicians (ACP). Dr. MacArthur is a recipient of the WSU School of Medicine College Teaching Award (2004). He is a journal reviewer for several journals, including Clinical Infectious Diseases, the Journal of Infectious Diseases, the Lancet, and Antiviral Therapy. He has provided care for over 1000 HIV-infected persons, and will continue to see patients as an infectious diseases consultant here at MCG.
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
WSU School of Medicine College Teaching Award
Awarded by Wayne State University in 2004.
Journal Reviewer
Clinical Infectious Diseases, the Journal of Infectious Diseases, the Lancet, and Antiviral Therapy.
HIV Medicine Association liaison
IDSA Public Health Committee
Education
National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship
Experimental Psychology
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine/Rheumatology
Certificate
Affiliations
- Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
- American College of Physicians (ACP)
Links
Media Appearances
Insect experts: Flooding creates conditions for mosquitoes, ticks to thrive
Augusta Chronicle print
2024-08-09
Symptoms of climate change which include milder winters and early springs are giving mosquitoes and ticks more time to reproduce, spread diseases, and expand their habitats throughout the United States, experts say. “Mosquitoes, ticks and in some cases fleas are vectors of disease,” said Benjamin Beard, principal deputy director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention division of vector borne diseases. Between 2004 and 2018, the number of reported illnesses from mosquito, tick, and flea bites more than doubled, with more than 760,000 cases reported in the United States, according to experts with the CDC. The geographic ranges where ticks spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and spotted fever rickettsiosis have expanded, and experts predict that tick-borne diseases will continue to increase and perhaps worsen. Rodger MacArthur, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, said there is potential concern for the mosquitoes that transmit the West Nile virus. “We see a number of West Nile cases in Georgia every year,” said MacArthur. “It's very unpredictable and unfortunately, we just don't have the data yet. Physicians have known about West Nile virus for quite some time. We often check our patients who have compatible symptoms of West Nile virus infection for evidence of infection.”
Diarrhea and HIV: What You Need to Know
TheBody online
2024-04-29
Stomach problems are a common health issue with many different potential causes. If you’re living with HIV, for instance, it’s not uncommon to occasionally experience diarrhea. There are many possible causes for diarrhea in people with HIV, and the duration of symptoms can vary. Among other reasons, diarrhea can be related to acute (early-stage) HIV, medications a person takes to treat HIV, or opportunistic infections that develop if a person is off HIV treatment for a very long period of time. If a person is not taking effective HIV treatment, the virus begins to destroy immune system cells, including in the intestinal tract (gut). The body responds to this infection with inflammation, and the inflamed gut may produce diarrhea. In fact, “The great surprise to me and others is that diarrhea is not more common in HIV,” says Rodger MacArthur, M.D., a professor of infectious diseases within the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
What WellStar MCG is now doing to reduce high flu cases
WJBF tv
2024-01-03
The CDC is reporting that both Georgia and South Carolina are two of the states with the highest number of flu cases. That’s a reason why WellStar MCG is cracking down on visitation to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses. If you’re a minor wanting or needing to visit a family member at WellStar MCG, you’ll want to know more about the new Modified Family Presence Policy. In December, the rising flu cases in both Georgia and South Carolina resulted in hospital stays and deaths for many people who contracted respiratory illnesses. “We’ve got medication that, if you start early, will shut down the virus from replicating. So, if you’ve got these symptoms– more than just replicating– if you’ve got the flu, get tested, call your doctor and start on some of these medications,” Professor of Medicine at Wellstar MCG Dr. Rodger McArthur said.
Flu cases increasing throughout CSRA & southeast amid holiday season
WRDW tv
2023-12-19
We’re now less than one week away from Christmas. While that means unwrapping gifts and family time for many people, it also means potential exposure to illnesses that tend to spike this time of year. That can come from being in large crowds while doing some last-minute shopping, going to a Christmas party or simply just being with a large family. Pediatricians’ offices and hospitals in the CSRA have been slammed over the past month with an array of patients suffering respiratory bugs like RTSV and the flu.
Could RSV or flu spoil your Christmas in the CSRA?
WFXG tv
2023-12-19
RSV, Covid-19 and the flu are all in season this time of year. This is definitely the case in the two-state, as the CDC reports the number of flu cases as high in Georgia and very high in South Carolina. “It’s about what we’d expect every year in this area,” said Dr. Rodger MacArthur, Medical College of Georgia Medicine Professor of Infectious Diseases, "All those viruses are out there, it’s the holiday season, which means it’s virus season."
Is COVID coming back?
WJBF tv
2023-09-25
Local experts report sporadic COVID activity in the Peach State and that’s the case for the entire CSRA, based on CDC numbers. COVID may appear to be back. But experts at Augusta University say it never left. And now, we are seeing subvariants. “It’s almost behaving like a different virus. It’s out there, but it’s not making folks as sick,” said Dr. Rodger Mac Arthur, MCG at Augusta University Professor of Medicine.
Cloth masks may be fashionable but they’re not the most effective
WRDW tv
2022-01-06
As omicron rapidly spreads, experts are looking at whether it’s time to upgrade beyond the cloth mask for better protection. Disposable, surgical, cloth, N95, there are plenty of types of masks. Health officials say N95 masks should be saved for hospital workers. As Dr. Rodger MacArthur, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases medical college of Georgia at AU holds up a disposable mask, he says “This blue one is the go-to one for me.”
Doctors stress importance of getting vaccinated as “Flurona” cases are reported in the US
WJBF tv
2022-01-07
It’s called ” Flurona”. ” Which is a combination of Covid and influenza,” Dr. Roger MacArthur said. It means testing positive for both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. Dr. Roger MacArthur at the Medical College of Georgia said getting both could put you at a higher risk for pneumonia. ” So, the concern is if you get both that could really do a job on your lungs putting you at increased risk pretty quickly for getting bacterial pneumonia in addition to say Covid pneumonia.
The pandemic may soon become an endemic: Local expert explains
WRDW tv
2022-01-20
A big question we’ve all been asking about the pandemic is, “when will it be over?” Are we getting closer to it being something like the flu? Here’s what the experts have to say. “We were basically expecting it to go away. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone away, and it’s going to be here,” said Dr. MacArthur, infectious disease expert, AU. After a massive nationwide shutdown, a handful of surges, and a multitude of variants later, this is where we are here in Georgia.
Here’s what experts want you to know about COVID and flu season
WRDW tv
2022-02-28
A possible “twin-demic”, where both COVID and flu cases would flood our hospitals, was a big concern when COVID first started to spread. Georgia and South Carolina are both in the “moderate” range of flu activity. We wanted to check in and see if those “twin-demic” concerns ever panned out. “This year we’re finding some cases, but not as many as there were two years ago,” said Dr. Rodger MacArthur, a Professor of Infectious Diseases at MCG.
Straight facts about HiV/Aids
In The Wild online
2022-02-08
In this week’s episode of In the Wild, Dr. Rodger MacArthur, professor of infectious disease at the Medical College of Georgia, shares his research on the work required to end the HIV epidemic.
COVID-19 cases on the decline
WFXG
2022-02-14
COVID-19 numbers are on a steady decline nationally, and Georgia is seeing the same. It's been about a month since the United States saw the peak of Omicron cases. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, on January 11, Georgia reached more than 25,000 cases. This comes just a couple of weeks after the holidays. Dr. Roger MacArthur, an infectious disease doctor at Augusta University Health says cases are down by about a third since the peak. "That’s good. It’s not clear yet what that means, in part because the number of deaths are still going up. Of course, the deaths lag behind the cases.”
Doctors in CSRA see fewer COVID cases and hospitalizations
WRDW tv
2022-02-28
The average positive test rate has dropped drastically. On Jan. 1, 33.1 percent of everyone tested for COVID was positive. The peak was Jan. 6, with a positivity rate of 37.1 percent. Last Friday, we were down to 6.4 percent. Doctors at AU say we have fewer COVID cases, hospitalized patients, and deaths. “We’re certainly in a better place than we were a month or two ago,” said Dr. Rodger MacArthur, professor of medicine, infectious diseases at Augusta University Health.
Worried about latest COVID-19 variant at Masters Tournament? Here's what experts say
Augusta Chronicle print
2022-04-04
Even with a more contagious version of the Omicron variant spreading across the country, there is little reason for visitors to Augusta to worry about COVID-19 right now, an infectious disease expert said. "In this area, the risk is low," said Dr. Rodger MacArthur, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. "That is true for most places in the U.S."
Is the pandemic over? We asked a local health expert to find out
WRDW tv
2022-05-27
With the city alive, hospitalizations down, and no recent surge in cases, it feels like we’re finally on the other side of this pandemic. But is it really over, or are we just over it? We’re all over the pandemic, but the data looks good, too. This map from the CDC shows COVID transmission by county. Most of the U.S. is in green. That includes all South Carolina counties and all but two counties in Georgia. So, does this mean the pandemic is over? We spoke to a local expert to find out.
Local health expert discusses summer travel safety
WRDW tv
2022-05-04
The summer weather is here, and so is the summer travel season. COVID transmission is low in the two-state, but pockets of higher transmission are starting to pop up in other parts of the nation. We were live from Augusta Regional Airport, where things have been busy. We talked to an Augusta University health expert about those clusters of cases and if there are concerns for summer plans.
Local expert on why rise of COVID-19 cases isn't alarming
WFXG tv
2022-06-15
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise both locally and nationally, but Dr. Rodger MacArthur with Augusta University says the numbers aren't alarming him at this time. He says the key metric of hospitalizations remains low. “Whatever is happening in the community hasn’t yet hit the hospitals, and I think that is really good news,” he says, Despite rises in cases, data from the CDC shows that almost all of the CSRA remains in a low COVID-19 transmission area.
Local experts say kids under 5 should get COVID-19 vaccine
WRDW tv
2022-07-07
It’s been two weeks since the CDC’s announcement that kids under 5 can get vaccinated against COVID. The week of June 30, Georgia saw 701 cases for kids up to age 4. While some parents may be on the fence, local doctors say it’s more important than ever to get the shot. After talking to vaccine locations, there has been a steady flow of kids under five getting the vaccine.
At home COVID tests raise concerns with numbers
WRDW tv
2022-07-08
We are checking in with local infectious disease experts on why we are seeing numbers on the rise. It’s not because of a lack of tests. Dr. Rodger MacArthur, professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases, Medical College of Georgia, said: “The virus has mutated. The virus that we’re dealing with now looks nothing at all like the spike protein on the original virus.”
https://www.wjbf.com/news/new-push-for-second-covid-booster-amid-rise-in-covid-cases/
WJBF tv
2022-07-13
Doctors said new omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA. 5 are highly infectious and transmissible. Prior immunity offers less protection meaning even if you’ve had COVID before you could still catch it again. “Our immune system doesn’t respond as well to prevent infection and so we’re getting infected and we’re seeing folks getting re-infected,” Medical College of Georgia’s Dr. Rodger MacArthur, who works in Infectious Diseases. The CDC says 80 percent of new COVID cases can be linked to the new subvariants with 100,000 cases across the US daily. “That’s just the ones reported to the health departments. When you look at all these at home test kits, we’re probably seeing now 600,000 cases across the US each day,” MacArthur said.
AU Health doctors urge caution amid rising monkeypox cases
WJBF tv
2022-08-10
The CDC has confirmed more than 9,000 cases of monkeypox in the United States. More than 600 of those are in Georgia. Since May, the viral disease has been monitored, the first cluster of cases being confirmed in the United Kingdom. Local doctors say there are signs to watch out for. “If they’ve got a rash, if they’ve got lesions on their hand, stay away from that rash,” Dr. Rodger MacArthur Professor of Medicine in Division of Infectious Diseases said.
Health officials explain the monkeypox vaccine
WRDW tv
2022-08-16
The CDC says there are more than 1,000 cases of monkeypox in Georgia, making us No. 5 in cases nationwide. Now that we have one confirmed case in Augusta, we want to know how the vaccine offers protection. The monkeypox vaccine is not a new one. Health officials say it’s been around for several years, but right now, only people considered high risk can get it. Dr. Rodger MacArthur, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Augusta University said: “There are over 800 cases confirmed in Georgia. The vast majority, as many of our listeners know, is in Atlanta.”
Infectious disease expert on local Monkeypox case
WFXG tv
2022-08-17
On Monday, officials with Augusta University Health confirmed they were treating a patient for monkeypox. This is the first known case in our area. Dr. Rodger MacArthur, an infectious disease expert with Augusta University, joined FOX54 mornings to talk about monkeypox.
Upcoming flu season expected to be a tough one
WJBF tv
2022-08-23
Health experts predict this upcoming winter will be bad for influenza. Early indicators from the southern hemisphere show health experts that the upcoming flu season will be a tough one.
FDA approves COVID booster shots targeting Omicron subvariants
WJBF tv
2022-09-05
The CDC and FDA approved new Pfizer and Moderna booster shots will target the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants. “It’s easier for these new sub variants BA. 4 and BA. 5 to escape our immune surveillance,” Medical College of Georgia infectious disease expert Dr. Rodger MacArthur said. The booster shots target the highly contagious BA.5 sub variant which the CDC said has been responsible for the majority of new COVID cases.
When should you get the new COVID-19 booster?
WFXG tv
2022-09-12
New COVID-19 boosters are now available at pharmacies across the CSRA. Experts say the new doses target additional strains of the virus that causes COVID-19. Dr. Rodger MacArthur is an infectious disease expert at Augusta University. “We know that the older vaccines, the ones that we’ve used for some time now, don’t have great activity against these subvariants,” he says. “One of the strains in there, one component of it, is targeting these new subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 or the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Local health experts discuss RSV cases in the CSRA
WRDW tv
2022-10-25
Health experts around the country have warned parents about RSV cases, a respiratory illness that tends to impact young children. And that’s on top of the flu and COVID going around. We’ve learned Children’s Hospital of Georgia has four kids with RSV, 30 cases so far in October. We talked to doctors at Augusta University Health and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia to see how many cases they’re seeing in our area and how the hospitals are preparing if they see a spike.
Answers
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Should people get the vaccine now in advance of a possible outbreak?
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Only those at risk are recommended for the vaccine, which is available at local health departments.
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What should people look for and what are some of the symptoms of mpox?
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Signs are the sudden appearance of typical lesions, after having close contact (with or without sex) to an at-risk individual. Close contact includes sleeping together without sexual activity, hugging, kissing, etc. Fever, typically high, also is likely to be present.
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Should people be prepared for an outbreak in the United States, and what can they do?
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We have had m-pox in the US, just not any cases of this new strain. We understand better who is at risk (especially young, sexually active men who have sex with men). We quite likely will see the new strain in the US, but I doubt that it will become endemic or epidemic here.
Articles
The End of the HIV Pandemic: Whatever Happened to 90-90-90 by 2020?
Patient CareRodger MacArthur
2022-01-25
The idea was to get 90% of all HIV-infected persons diagnosed, get 90% of them on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and get 90% of those on ART “undetectable.” Doing the math (0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9) would result in getting 73% of all HIV-infected patients undetectable. So how did countries do? In 2017, Botswana was at 81% of all HIV-infected persons undetectable. The UK was at 87%. And the United States? Only an estimated 55% of all HIV-infected persons were undetectable. Thus, it should not come as a big surprise that the US failed to meet the 90-90-90 goal by the end of 2020.
