The present invention is an early infection detection system comprising: a housing having a sensor system section and tray section； an inflow port in fluid communications with a catheter to allow bodily fluid to flow from a patient into the tray section； a color sensor included in the sensor section and in electrical communications with a control module configured to sense the color of a reagent and convert the color to a numeric value representing the amount of a compound, such as bacteria, present in the bodily fluid； a tray carrying a reagent that darkens relative to the amount of the compound present in a bodily fluid that contacts the strip； and, computer readable instructions included in the control module for receiving the numeric value and transmitting the numeric value to a local server.
