Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are a leading cause of antibiotic overuse worldwide. Rapid, accurate identification of a pathogen can reduce antibiotic overuse for ARTIs, but is not always possible with available diagnostics. In low- or middle-income countries (LMICs), ARTI diagnosis is further complicated by limited laboratory infrastructure.

This project in Sri Lanka will

1) define the epidemiology of ARTIs using comprehensive laboratory testing,

2) refine a novel host-based gene expression assay that differentiates between viral and bacterial ARTIs. This transcriptomics-based signature was originally developed in a population in the US. Performance will be determined in the Sri Lankan cohort and the signature will be refined.

3) determine the performance characteristics of procalcitonin and gene signatures at differentiating between viral and bacterial ARTIs.