As cases of H5N1, also known as bird flu or bird flu, continue to surface across the US, security precautions are being stepped up.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday its recommendation that hospitalized patients with influenza A be tested more quickly and thoroughly to distinguish between seasonal flu and bird flu.
The rapid “subtyping” of influenza A in hospitalized patients is in response to “sporadic human infections” with bird flu, the CDC wrote in a news release.
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“CDC recommends a shortened timeline for subtyping all influenza A samples among hospitalized patients and increased efforts in clinical laboratories to identify non-seasonal influenza,” the agency wrote.
The CDC now recommends accelerated influenza A subtyping in response to “sporadic human infections” in the US (iStock)
“We remind clinicians and laboratories to test patients with suspected influenza for influenza and to now expedite subtyping of influenza A-positive samples from hospitalized patientsespecially those in the intensive care unit (ICU).”
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The goal is to prevent delays in identifying bird flu infections and promote better patient care, “timely infection control” and case investigation, the agency said.
These delays are more likely to occur during flu season due to the high volume of patients, according to the CDC.
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Health care systems They are expected to use tests that identify seasonal influenza A as a subtype – so if the test comes back positive for influenza A but negative for seasonal influenza, that is an indication that the virus detected may be new.
Recognizing bird flu infections will facilitate better patient care and infection control, the CDC says. (iStock)
“The subtype is particularly important in people who have had past exposure to wild or domestic animals [that are] infected or possibly infected with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus,” the CDC wrote.
In an HHS press briefing on Thursday, the CDC confirmed that public risk for bird flu it is still low, but it is being closely monitored.
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A spokesman for the agency clarified that this accelerated testing is not due to missed cases of bird flu, as the CDC said in its press release that those hospitalized with influenza A “likely have seasonal flu.”
Niels Riedemann, MD, PhD, CEO and founder of InflaRx, a German biotech company, said understanding these subtypes is an “important step” in better preparing for “any potential outbreak worrisome variants.”
The CDC recommends avoiding direct contact with wild birds or other animals that may be infected. (iStock)
“It will also be important to encourage research and development of therapies, including those that address the patient’s inflammatory immune response to these types of viruses – as this has been shown to cause organ damage and death during Covid pandemic,” he told Fox News Digital.
Since 2022, there have been a total of 67 human cases of bird flu, according to the CDC, with 66 occurring in 2024.
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The CDC recommends that people avoid direct contact with wild birds or other animals suspected of being infected. Those who work closely with animals should also wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
