A common and acute ailment is bacterial upper respiratory tract infection (URI). This infection can affect the upper respiratory tract which comprises of the nasal passages, the larynx, pharynx and the sinuses. URI is an illness that is evaluated in an out-patient setting and its severity can range from the mild, self-limiting catarrhal nasopharynx syndrome to epiglottitis, a life-threatening illness. Most cases of upper respiratory tract infections are caused by viruses and require targeted therapy to combat them.