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- Infections of the respiratory tract are amongst the commonest
infections, particularly in patients visiting General Practitioners.
- In many cases they are endogenous - caused by microbes
in the patient's commensal flora. The respiratory tract can conveniently
but artificially be divided into the upper and lower respiratory
tracts. The upper respiratory tract lies above the vocal
cords: the lower respiratory tract is situated below
the vocal cords.
- In health, the upper respiratory tract houses a wide
diversity of microbes. Amongst the most common commensal
bacteria of the upper respiratory tract are species of viridans
streptococci and Moraxella spp.
- There are some important bacteria that can live as commensals
in a minority of the population and that can under appropriate
circumstances go on to cause infection. These include: Streptococcus
pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus
influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis (causing
meningitis) and Corynebacterium diphtheriae
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Link to list of topics concerning upper respiratory tract
infections
Link to list of subjects
Page edited April 2006
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