The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released an advisory recommending clinicians expedite subtyping of type A influenza samples from hospitalized patients, particularly individuals in an intensive care unit.
The CDC recommends that this subtyping occur as soon as possible following admission — ideally within 24 hours — to determine whether the virus is a seasonal influenza A subtype (i.e. A[H1] and A[H3]) or a novel influenza A virus, such as avian influenza A H5N1.
The agency said these efforts can help prevent delays in identifying human H5N1 bird flu infections and support timely infection control and investigation.
The CDC still considers bird flu a low risk to the public. The agency said while seasonal flu levels are high nationally, nearly all individuals currently hospitalized with type A flu infections are likely experiencing a seasonal strain.
Read the advisory here.
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