A combination of passive, non-invasive and nonintrusive smart monitoring technologies is currently transforming healthcare. These technologies will soon be able to provide immediate health related feedback for a range of illnesses and conditions. Such tools would be game changing for serious public health concerns, such as seasonal cold and flu, for which early diagnosis and social isolation pl...

In this retrospective cohort study, we demonstrate that PCR-confirmed diagnoses of influenza were made solely by lower respiratory sampling in 6.9% of cases, as traditional upper respiratory tract tests were negative, indeterminate or not performed. Clinical features of these cases are presented. Clinicians should consider lower respiratory tract sampling in select cases of influenza-like illne...

Respiratory infections have been implicated in the origin and exacerbation of asthma in a variety of ways; however, systemisation of this knowledge in a way helpful for disease management remains suboptimal. Several conceptual issues need to be taken into account: the fact that the effects of an infection may vary according to genetic background, the current immune status of the host, and paral...

Sarcoidosis of the upper respiratory tract (SURT) includes nasopharyngeal, laryngeal and tracheal disease. Documented SURT occurs in approximately 5% of patients, although upper airway symptoms are more common in patients with sarcoidosis. Wegener granulomatosis may have a similar appearance to SURT, but there are important differences in the manifestations of the disease locally as well as sys...

background and objectives: feline herpesvirus-1, feline calicivirus and chlamydophila felis are the main causes of feline upper respiratory tract disease. this study was conducted to identify of fehv-1, fcv and c. felis infections in domestic cat population and also to estimate the prevalence of each specific infection in iran. materials and methods: the ocular conjunctiva and oropharyngeal spe...

To investigate the differences in antibiotic use and knowledge Objectives: between adolescent and adult mothers of children under the age of 5 years in Ecuador. A cross sectional study was performed in four health centers and Methods: hospitals. Mothers of children under five years, seeking medical attention their child's upper respiratory tract infection (URI), were included. The data was coll...

To establish whether colonisation of the upper respiratory tract or bacterial contamination of inhaler devices or solutions predisposes to colonisation of the lower respiratory tract in patients with cystic fibrosis, bacterial isolates from groups of children who were positive (n = 13) or negative (n = 18) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied. Cultures of swabs from inhaler devices, toothbru...

The relationship between exercise and susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) has been modelled in the form of a 'J'shaped curve as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and the relationship between exercise load and immune function is modelled as the inverse (mirror image of this curve). This model suggests that while engaging in moderate activity may enhance immune function above sedenta...

Many athletes believe that physical training enhances immunity and helps prevent upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) like the common cold or “flu” (influenza). They also believe that physical activity and fitness help them overcome any minor infections they do get. On the other hand, based largely on anecdotes and on popularization of a link between physical or psychological stress and “im...