The invention provides methods for determining the propensity to develop, or the presence of, one or more infection-induced illness(es). The invention further provides methods of treating an infection (e.g., bacterial infection), methods of diagnosing an infection-induced illness in a subject, and methods of predicting the future severity of one or more infection-induced illness(es). Also provided are kits for determining the likelihood or propensity of a subject to develop one or more infection-induced illness(es) and kits for diagnosing one or more infection-induced illness(es) in a subject and identifying a subject as having an increased risk of later developing one or more severe infection-induced illness(es).
