Method of distinguishing inflammatory pathogen causing acute respiratory infection

A kit for performing a method of distinguishing a respiratory pathogen causing acute respiratory infection, wherein

• a pathogen to be distinguished includes a pathogen colonizing the respiratory tract, the method comprising:
• measuring the relative value of the amount of the pathogen in a sample containing the respiratory secretions of a subject, to the amount of the subject's cells in the sample;
• and
• distinguishing whether or not the pathogen is the respiratory pathogen, based on the relative value, the kit comprising:
• a primer set for a gene derived from one or more pathogens colonizing the respiratory tract, selected from the group consisting of microbes of the genera Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Moraxella, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, and Staphylococcus;
• and a manual.

An apparatus for distinguishing a respiratory pathogen causing acute respiratory infection, wherein

• a pathogen to be distinguished is a pathogen colonizing the respiratory tract, the apparatus comprising:
• a) DNA preparation means for preparing DNA from a sample containing the respiratory secretions of a subject;
• b) DNA amplification means for specifically amplifying DNA derived from the subject's cells and pathogen-derived DNA, in the DNA;
• c) DNA detection means for detecting the DNA derived from the subject's cells and the pathogen-derived DNA, amplified by the DNA amplification means;
• d) calculation means for calculating the relative number of a copy number of the pathogen-derived DNA to a copy number of the DNA derived from the subject's cells, based on a signal detected by the DNA detection means;
• and
• e) distinguishment means for distinguishing whether or not the pathogen is the respiratory pathogen, based on the distinguishment reference value according to claim 2 and the relative number.