Infectious pathogens in acute respiratory illness in adults and elderly

Subjects who the investigator believes can and will comply with the requirements of the protocol.

• Written informed consent obtained from the subject.
• Male or female subjects between, and including, 40 and 85 years of age, at the time of consent.
• Subjects with confirmed diagnosis of COPD with Forced Expiratory Volume of air expired in 1 second (FEV1) of
• Subjects have moderate, severe, or very severe COPD, according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) staging.
• Subjects have a current or prior history of >/=10 pack-years of cigarette smoking. Former smokers are defined as those who have stopped smoking for at least 6 months. Number of pack years = (number of cigarettes per day/20) x number of years smoked.
• Subjects present a documented history of >/=1 exacerbation requiring antibiotics and/or oral corticosteroids or hospitalization in the previous 12 months.

Subject also has a confirmed diagnosis of asthma, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia risk factors or other respiratory disorders.

• Subjects having undergone lung surgery.
• Subject has a α-1 antitrypsin deficiency as underlying cause of COPD.
• Subject who experienced a moderate or severe COPD exacerbation not resolved at least 1 month prior to enrolment visit and at least 30 days following the last dose of oral corticosteroids.
• Subject using any antibacterial, antiviral or respiratory investigational drug or relevant vaccine up to 30 days prior to the enrolment visit.
• Subject has other conditions that the principal investigator judges may interfere with the study findings. Women who are pregnant or lactating or are planning on becoming pregnant during the study.