The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a call for faster testing for bird flu in hospitalized patients with suspected influenza.
This advisory comes as cases of H5N1 avian influenza continue to rise among humans and animals in North America, prompting concerns about potential public health risks.
The CDC advisory recommends that healthcare workers test patients hospitalized with the flu for H5N1 within 24 hours of admission. This step is crucial to differentiate between seasonal flu and bird flu, which requires specialized testing not available in most healthcare facilities. Specimens for bird flu testing are typically sent to public health laboratories, a process that can take several days.
Dr. Nirav Shah, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, emphasized the importance of moving from retrospective to real-time surveillance systems.
“What we need is a system that tells us what’s happening in the moment,” he said.
This approach would enable timely treatment, protect healthcare workers, and facilitate investigations into the source of infections.
Although the overall risk of bird flu to the general population remains low, certain groups are at higher risk, including poultry workers, backyard flock owners, and veterinarians. The outbreak has already resulted in the first US death from bird flu earlier this month, involving a Louisiana man exposed to infected backyard birds. A Canadian girl narrowly survived after a severe infection last year.
Bird flu cases have also been confirmed in domestic cats exposed to raw milk or pet food, raising additional concerns about transmission through contaminated products.
The CDC highlighted the challenges of testing for H5N1, especially during peak flu season when hospitals are managing a high volume of seasonal flu cases. Most influenza tests can identify type-A flu but cannot distinguish between seasonal and avian strains. The CDC is encouraging public health labs to subtype all type-A flu samples to detect rare cases of H5N1 promptly.
This enhanced testing capacity is vital for public health agencies to monitor changes in the virus’s transmission patterns and ensure appropriate response measures are in place.
Experts are closely monitoring the situation due to the potential for mutations in the H5N1 virus that could enable more efficient human-to-human transmission. While there is no evidence of such transmission in the United States, early detection and response remain key priorities.
The CDC’s recommendations include starting antiviral treatments like Tamiflu immediately for suspected bird flu cases, even before confirmation, to improve patient outcomes. Public health officials also underscore the importance of continued research into vaccines and antiviral drugs to address the evolving threat.
The Washington Post and CNN contributed to this report.
