US CDC Urges States to Maintain High Levels of Flu Testing This Summer – By Reuters

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday that states should enhance surveillance for the H5N1 bird flu by increasing the testing of influenza A virus samples throughout the summer. This effort aims to identify even rare cases of the virus transmission to humans.

Nirav Shah, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, called for heightened vigilance in anticipation of the usual seasonal drop in influenza activity and testing, occurring simultaneously with an ongoing outbreak of H5N1 affecting poultry and dairy cattle in the U.S.

The H5N1 bird flu has been detected in numerous dairy herds across nine states. There has been at least one reported human case in Texas involving an individual who had contact with infected dairy cows and subsequently developed conjunctivitis.

Public health laboratories are responsible for processing flu samples from local jurisdictions, where they are subtyped to determine if they are typical strains or unusual ones like H5N1.

Earlier in May, the CDC had convened a meeting with state health officials, urging them to ensure the distribution of protective equipment for farm workers to guard against possible infection from bird flu.