Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium

This is an observational, longitudinal study of ARI/ILI among otherwise healthy active duty military members, retirees, as well as their spouses and dependents. An additional cohort of HIV-infected adults will also be evaluated. We will collect data from clinical findings, medical chart review, and diagnostic, virologic, and immunologic assays to describe the epidemiology and immunology of ARI/ILI. Subject recruitment will take place in both inpatient and outpatient settings of military treatment facilities (MTF) in the continental US. Additionally, subject self-referral will be encouraged through institutional review board (IRB) approved advertisements. Both adults under 65 years of age and children will be eligible for participation. Subjects will be followed for a total of up to 4 visits over a 28±7-day period. After their final visit (Day 28±7 applicable window), participants may only re-enroll into the study after 3 months have passed. Nasal swabs, blood specimens (if consented to), buccal cytobrush samples (if consented to), and rectal swabs (in select subgroups of consenting inpatients) will be collected in order to characterize the etiologic, epidemiologic, and immunologic characteristics of ARI in the study population. In the HIV- positive cohort, additional clinical data and blood will be collected for HIV-specific factors (e.g., CD4 counts, HIV RNA levels) and for additional immunologic studies at days 0 and 28 (± 7) of the study. This is a prospective longitudinal study which will use data from clinical findings, medical chart review, and diagnostic, virologic and immunologic laboratories to describe the epidemiology and immunology of ARI/ILI.