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Medical News & Perspectives
Published Online: January 31, 2025
CDC Advises Expedited Influenza Subtyping in Hospitalized Patients to Help Identify Bird Flu Cases Sooner
About a week after the first human death linked to the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or H5N1 bird flu, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory recommending expedited subtyping of all specimens positive for influenza A in hospitalized patients—especially those in an intensive care unit (ICU).
The guidance, issued on January 16, follows 66 reported cases of humans infected with the bird flu virus since 2024 and the first severe case, which resulted in the death of an older adult with underlying medical conditions in Louisiana. Amid elevated seasonal influenza activity, the CDC cautioned that increased volumes of patients seeking medical attention may introduce delays to the specific identification and treatment of H5N1 infections.
In response, the advisory goes beyond the CDC’s routine recommendation to test hospitalized patients for suspected influenza. Instead, the accelerated blanket approach pushes to further investigate all influenza A specimens to distinguish bird flu cases from those of seasonal influenza A—ideally within 24 hours of hospital admission. This expedited subtyping will enable prompt infection control and optimized patient care, the advisory noted.
What the Advisory Recommends
...continued. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2829941
Published Online: January 31, 2025
CDC Advises Expedited Influenza Subtyping in Hospitalized Patients to Help Identify Bird Flu Cases Sooner
About a week after the first human death linked to the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or H5N1 bird flu, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory recommending expedited subtyping of all specimens positive for influenza A in hospitalized patients—especially those in an intensive care unit (ICU).
The guidance, issued on January 16, follows 66 reported cases of humans infected with the bird flu virus since 2024 and the first severe case, which resulted in the death of an older adult with underlying medical conditions in Louisiana. Amid elevated seasonal influenza activity, the CDC cautioned that increased volumes of patients seeking medical attention may introduce delays to the specific identification and treatment of H5N1 infections.
In response, the advisory goes beyond the CDC’s routine recommendation to test hospitalized patients for suspected influenza. Instead, the accelerated blanket approach pushes to further investigate all influenza A specimens to distinguish bird flu cases from those of seasonal influenza A—ideally within 24 hours of hospital admission. This expedited subtyping will enable prompt infection control and optimized patient care, the advisory noted.
What the Advisory Recommends
...continued. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2829941
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