Upper and lower respiratory infections, including pharyngitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia, are exceedingly common and the cause of significant morbidity and mortality around the world.  Pneumonia, especially, is a known killer.  Pneumonia is the most deadly infectious disease in the US, causing on the order of 100,000 deaths annually.  It is the 6th leading cause of death in that country.  Approximately 5.1 million cases are reported each year.

Causes of pneumonia in adults include not only S. pneumoniae and H.influenzae but also Legionella, which is a leading cause of both community-acquired and hospital-acquired pneumonia.  There are 25,000 to 100,000 cases of Legionnaires’ Disease reported in the US annually, and this is one of the most overlooked causes of pneumonia.  The mortality rate associated with Legionnaires’ Disease is 25% to 40%, so the need to detect Legionella quickly is high.

Inverness Medical Innovations provides a broad range of diagnostic tests for these common causes of pneumonia.  In addition, we provide tests for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Strep A pharyngitis, two other common causes of morbidity due to respiratory infection, providing a comprehensive diagnostic capability for addressing the pathogens that cause the majority of respiratory disease.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes upper and lower respiratory tract infections and is generally recognized as the most frequent agent for lower respiratory tract infections, including bronchiolitis, and a major cause of infant mortality.  Approximately 90% of children have had one, and 50% of children have had two, RSV infections by the age of two.  RSV also commonly affects the elderly.

Group A streptococci are a major cause of upper respiratory tract infections in humans.  These infections typically occur in young children, and infection rates are particularly high in environments such as schools, nursing homes and hospitals. The incidence of infections caused by group A streptococci is believed to have re-emerged in the last 10 to 20 years. About 15% of all sore throats are caused by Group A Streptococcus.  Left untreated, symptoms may become more severe, with complications such as acute rheumatic fever, toxic shock-like syndrome, and glomerulonephritis.  Rapid identification is therefore important to allow early treatment and to prevent disease progression.
 
In the past, in an effort to reduce complications such as rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis, antibiotics have been prescribed in patients presenting with sore throats, even in those where there is no proven evidence that the cause is group A streptococci and the cause may be viral.  This approach runs the risk of streptococci developing increased resistance to antibiotics. To ensure this does not happen, the use of rapid diagnostic tests is important.  Early detection and intervention of Strep A pharyngitis is particularly important in children, as it allows treatment that shortens the course of illness, reduces the severity of the symptoms, reduces the likelihood of complications, and reduces spread to others.