C-reactive protein is an acute temporal reactive protein produced by the body in response to bacterial infections and other inflammatory irritations and tissue damage, and is most commonly elevated in response to bacterial infections. C-reactive protein is most commonly used to identify bacterial and viral infections, and it rises rapidly, usually by a large amount, when the infection is controlled. When the infection is under control, C-reactive protein also decreases significantly. In viral infections, C-reactive protein is usually not significantly elevated or does not increase much, so it is easy to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections.