Respiratory Pathogens Panel
- Also Known As:
- RP Panel
- Respiratory Virus Profile
- Multiplex Respiratory Panel
- Multi-pathogen Molecular Assay
- Syndromic Multiplex Panel

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To determine whether you have a respiratory infection due to certain bacteria or viruses; to help guide management of a respiratory infection
When To Get Tested?
Not everyone with symptoms of a respiratory infection (e.g., fever, aches, sore throat and cough) is tested. This panel is primarily performed when you are seriously ill, hospitalized, and/or at an increased risk for a severe infection with complications or multiple infections (co-infections).
Sample Required?
A sample is collected from the back of your nose and throat (nasopharyngeal swab). This is done by having you tip your head back, then a swab is gently inserted through a nostril until resistance is met (about 1 to 2 inches), then rotated several times and withdrawn. This may tickle a bit and cause the eyes to tear. Alternatively, a nasal wash or aspirate may be collected. A syringe is used to push a small amount of sterile saline into the nose, then gentle suction is applied (for the aspirate) or the resulting fluid is collected into a cup (for a wash).
Test Preparation Needed?
None
What is being tested?
A variety of viruses and some bacteria can cause infections of the respiratory tract. These disease-causing microbes are called pathogens. The respiratory pathogens panel tests for the presence of multiple disease-causing microbes in a single respiratory sample.
While a wide variety of viruses and bacteria can cause respiratory infections, the list of common ones is much smaller. A healthcare practitioner may have an idea about the cause based upon the season, your signs and symptoms and medical history, and in some cases recent travel, but will not be able to positively identify the microbe without testing.
The respiratory pathogen panel is a molecular test that detects the genetic material (RNA or DNA) of some of the more common pathogens. It can identify co-infections (more than one microbe causing infection) and identify microbes that might be missed with traditional testing, such as culture. Some panels can also identify subtypes or strains of microbes. Results of a respiratory pathogen panel may be available within a few hours, compared to a few days with some traditional testing.
The number and type of microbes tested depends on the specific panel used. Some panels are limited to testing for a few types of viruses that are the most common causes of respiratory infections, while other panels are more comprehensive and test for a wider variety of respiratory viruses and bacteria in a single sample.
Examples of some of the microbes that might be tested include (these can vary from one panel to another):
Viruses:
- Influenza A and B (flu)
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Parainfluenza virus
- Rhinovirus
- Adenovirus
- Coronavirus
- Enterovirus
- Human metapneumovirus
Bacteria:
- Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough) and Bordetella parapertussis
- Chlamydia pneumoniae
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Respiratory infections
Respiratory infections are common and can be very contagious, spreading from person to person through coughing, sneezing, and contact with contaminated surfaces. People may be infectious before their symptoms begin to several days after they become sick.
Some examples of common respiratory infections include:
- Common colds—viral infections that cause sneezing, coughing, sore throat and runny or stuffy nose
- Bronchitis—infections can cause inflammation of the airways leading to the lungs (bronchial tubes) with symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath
- Croup—an infection of the windpipe and airways leading to the lungs that causes hoarseness and a cough that sounds like a seal or dog
- Pneumonia—infection of the lower respiratory tract that can cause coughing, fever, chills, muscle aches and shortness of breath
Viral respiratory infections caused by influenza A or B (the flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are largely seasonal in the United States, with the cold and flu season running from late fall through early spring. During each season there are multiple strains of influenza and a variety of other viruses causing very similar “flu-like” symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose the cause of infection based on symptoms and medical history alone. Some viruses and bacteria can cause respiratory infections and complications year-round.
Respiratory infections can cause a spectrum of illness, from mild to severe, and can sometimes be fatal. All ages can be affected, but the highest infection rates and the most severe complications are typically seen in the very young, in people with weakened (compromised) immune systems, and especially in the elderly. People in close contact with one another or in confined spaces, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and the military, are also at increased risk of infection.
The number of people with respiratory infections varies from year to year. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Influenza: the number of cases of influenza illness during the 2017-2018 season was the highest it had been since 2009. The CDC estimates that 48.8 million people became sick with influenza, about 959,000 were hospitalized, and 79,400 died.
- RSV: on average there are 2.1 million outpatient visits and 57,527 hospitalizations in children under the age of 5, and 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths in adults older than the age of 65.
- Common cold: millions of cases of the common cold occur each year (typically caused by rhinoviruses, but also by other viruses included in the respiratory pathogen panel).
Common Questions
You may be able to find your test results on your laboratory’s website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Testing.com. You may have been directed here by your lab’s website in order to provide you with background information about the test(s) you had performed. You will need to return to your lab’s website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.
Testing.com is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.
The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.
If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.
Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.
While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”
For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
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