Background: Influenza (Flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are important viral
pathogens that cause lower respiratory tract infections and severe exacerbations of asthma.
Molecular biological techniques are permitting a rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections
caused by respiratory pathogens, and have typically been applied to upper respiratory
samples. Sputum induction provides an opportunity to directly sample secretions from the
lower respiratory tract. Objectives/study design: To determine the role of induced sputum …