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Respiratory Tract Infections

Every year, millions of people around the world come down with a respiratory tract infection.

Respiratory tract infections are the most common community-acquired infectious disease, affecting all ages and economic groups. The majority are attributable to pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. However, bacterial resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics is a growing global problem in respiratory tract infections, particularly to Beta-lactams and macrolides. Activity against these resistant organisms is a prerequisite for first line use for a new antibiotic.

Community-acquired pneumonia is a relative common disease; estimations for the U.S. are 2–3 million cases per year, with 10 million office visits and 500,000 hospitalizations in the USA/year. Approximately 45,000 deaths due to CAP in the USA per year, mainly in the elderly population.

Source:
Bartlett et al. Clin Infect Dis 1998;26:811–38; National Center for Health Statistics
1996; Schwartz. Nurse Pract
1994;19:58–63; Gwaltney. In: Principles and Practices of Infectious Disease 1990;43:493–98

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