The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged hospitals to test flu patients for bird flu within 24 hours of their admission. This comes after concerns over the slow process of testing and the rise of bird flu in dairy cows and poultry.
Although labs have been required to test for bird flu since last fall, the process has been delayed, with many hospitals sending flu samples in bulk every few days. This delay can make it difficult to investigate the source of bird flu infections.
Dr. Nirav Shah, the CDC’s principal deputy director, explained that by the time test results come back, many patients have already been discharged. This can hinder tracking where the infection came from, as people’s memories of their possible exposure fade over time.
Shah stressed that the more time that passes, the harder it becomes to trace potential sources of the virus. He also warned that close contacts of infected individuals may miss the chance to take preventative medications like Tamiflu if the results take too long.
The CDC’s new alert calls for faster testing, ideally within 24 hours of hospital admission. The aim is to get real-time information that can help track and control the spread of bird flu.
Seasonal flu is spreading rapidly in the U.S., with Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee seeing high levels of infection. The CDC’s guidance applies to patients with influenza A, as bird flu, or H5N1, is a subtype of this strain.
Most seasonal flu cases are also flu A, particularly the H3N2 and H1N1 subtypes. However, identifying which specific strain a person has requires specialized lab equipment, which is not available in most doctors’ offices. Most tests only show whether a person has flu A or B.
Dr. Alex Greninger, a professor at the University of Washington, said that the push for faster testing is a positive step. He believes it will provide clearer data about the disease and may help identify if bird flu is spreading from person to person.
The bird flu threat remains mainly for those who work with poultry, wild birds, and dairy cattle. For the general public, the risk of infection is low. Out of more than 83,000 flu samples tested in the past year, only three cases of bird flu were detected.
Despite the low risk to the public, Greninger believes that faster testing should have been implemented months ago. He emphasized the need for improved preparedness to track any potential human-to-human transmission.
Kelly Wroblewski, from the Association of Public Health Laboratories, said that labs are well-prepared to handle the increased testing demand. She noted that there is no evidence that labs are missing bird flu cases.
According to the CDC’s latest report, there have been around 110,000 flu-related hospitalizations since the start of flu season. In comparison, there have only been 67 confirmed human cases of bird flu, most of which are linked to exposure to dairy cows and poultry.
Fortunately, most bird flu cases have been mild, with only one death reported. This death involved an older adult with underlying health conditions. The CDC continues to monitor the situation closely.
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