Respiratory Infections

A respiratory tract infection can affect sinuses, throat, lungs or airways. There are two types of respiratory infections:

• Upper respiratory infections: Common Cold, Sinusitis, Pharyngitis, Epiglottitis and Laryngotracheitis. Most of them are of viral etiology.
• Lower respiratory infections: Bronchitis, Bronchiolitis and Pneumonia. Although viruses, mycoplasma, rickettsiae and fungi can all cause lower respiratory tract infections, bacteria are the dominant pathogens; accounting for a much higher percentage of lower than of upper respiratory tract infections.

Molecular detection of the microbial genome by Real-Time PCR can offer a rapid diagnosis.