Anyone who has ever had a cold knows about acute respiratory infections. An acute upper respiratory infection (URI) is a contagious infection of your upper respiratory tract. Your upper respiratory tract includes the nose, throat, pharynx, larynx, and bronchi.
Without a doubt, the common cold is the most well known URI. Other types of URIs include sinusitis, pharyngitis, epiglottitis, and tracheobronchitis. Influenza, on the other hand, is not an upper respiratory infection because it is a systemic illness.