Respiratory infection can be associated with self-limiting upper respiratory tract infections that affects the upper part of respiratory system, including sinuses and throat (eg, the common cold, epiglottitis, laryngitis. pharyngitis (sore throat), sinusitis (sinus infection). Upper respiratory infection symptoms include a runny nose, sore throat and cough.  The more severe lower respiratory tract infections (eg, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis) are a major cause of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in infants and the elderly and are associated with significant disease burden.

Viral infections cause ~80% of respiratory tract disease; mixed infections account for ~20 percent infection in adults and 60% in children. Symptoms generally occur within 1-3 days of exposure and last 7-14 days. Symptomatic disease varies by viral type and patient age. Rapid diagnosis is especially important for people who are more likely to become seriously ill from complications or require hospitalization, such as young children, adults 65 and older, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems. The most common cause of upper respiratory tract infections is rhinovirus. Other viruses include the influenza virus, adenovirus, enterovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Bacteria may cause roughly 15% of sudden onset pharyngitis presentations. The most common is S. pyogenes, a group A streptococcus.

Patients with respiratory infectious illnesses often have signs and symptoms that are indicative of a disease, but that isn’t specific enough to clinically distinguish what makes them ill. Syndromic testing is a process by which a physician simultaneously tests a patient for multiple pathogens with overlapping symptomology. Unlike traditional diagnostic methods, like bacterial culture and microscopy, syndromic testing uses multiplex PCR to test for several pathogens at once – and it only takes around an hour. The quick, comprehensive results of syndromic testing let clinicians provide the best care possible for their patients.

RPP (Respiratory Pathogen Panel) Test provides simultaneous qualitative detection and identification of the most common respiratory viruses, bacteria and fungi causing respiratory illness in a very short time. Using real-time PCR method our RPP test can detect slow-growing or difficult-to-culture microorganisms that cause upper and lower respiratory tract infection and can be used when the traditional methods such as culture-based and immunoassay lead to ambiguous results.