A serum amyloid a (SAA) greater than 200 indicates the presence of an infection in the body, the severity of which is related to the specific type of infection. Serum amyloid a is an acute time-phase reactive protein that is primarily elevated during acute infections. It can be elevated in infections with either bacterial, viral, or other pathogens, and can reach hundreds to thousands of times the normal level in a short period of time. The value alone does not reflect the severity of the disease and is highly dependent on the type and location of the infection and the patient’s own condition. It is often necessary to check it together with C-reactive protein (CRP) to identify bacterial or viral infections. Bacterial infections are more likely if both are elevated, while viral infections are more likely if SAA alone is elevated.