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The H5N1 bird flu virus has produced several positive cases, with human cases in the U.S. increasing, prompting concerns over the availability of testing in the event of a potential outbreak. The H5N1 virus has spread widely, infecting over 99 million poultry, 9500 wild birds, and 145 dairy herds across the United States. Five human cases have been reported since 2022, including in Colorado, Texas, and Michigan.
Edward Liu, M.D., the chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, has stated that only governmental health departments currently provide H5N1 avian influenza testing. However, the CDC is encouraging private companies to develop more types and an increased number of tests for detecting the H5N1 virus. In response to the potential outbreak, advanced tests that can differentiate between the avian flu virus and other strains are being developed, such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), viral culture, and immunofluorescence assays.
At present, only CDC and specific public health laboratories have the capability to test for and diagnose bird flu. Due to a warning from the CDC about the lack of testing availability, they are requesting the creation of a lab-developed test (LDT) approved by the FDA to aid in testing and diagnosing. This is in response to the limited testing capabilities that could potentially impede efforts to control the virus if an outbreak were to occur.
Despite the CDC’s calls, Neal Barnard, M.D., an adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, confirmed no consumer-level tests for bird flu currently exist. Barnard explained home flu tests, such as those available on Amazon, aren’t sensitive to bird flu. Detection of bird flu would require a sample to be sent to a state health department for proper testing.
In an effort to better manage any potential outbreak, the CDC recommends the use of more sensitive molecular tests due to their greater accuracy. These tests can both detect the presence of the flu and differentiate between avian flu and other strains.
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