The CDC is asking health agencies to maintain enhanced influenza monitoring through the summer and increase subtyping of positive samples. Â
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- The CDC is calling on public health agencies across the US to maintain heightened influenza surveillance systems through the summer months when flu activity typically declines.
- The CDC wants agencies to increase the number of positive influenza A virus samples sent to public health labs for subtyping, which can identify if a sample contains the H5N1 avian flu virus circulating among poultry and cattle.
- This enhanced monitoring aims to quickly detect any rare cases of human infection with the H5N1 bird flu virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging public health officials across the country to maintain enhanced influenza surveillance systems through the summer months and ramp up subtyping of positive flu samples.
The goal is to quickly identify any rare cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus currently impacting poultry and dairy cattle.
In a meeting with public health partners like the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, CDC principal deputy director Nirav D. Shah laid out the agency’s recommendations for the upcoming summer season when flu activity and testing typically decline.
Shah emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant and asked jurisdictions to work with clinical laboratories to increase submissions of positive influenza virus samples to public health labs for subtyping. Subtyping is a process that determines whether the influenza A sample is a common, seasonal influenza virus or a novel virus like H5N1.
The CDC stated it remains committed to supporting state and local health authorities in their H5N1 preparedness efforts over the summer and will continue providing updated guidance.
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