How is avian influenza detected in humans?
Category: Avian Influenza
Answer:
Avian influenza cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone. Laboratory testing is required. Avian influenza in people is usually diagnosed by collecting a swab from the nose or throat during the first few days of illness. This swab is then sent to a laboratory, where health professionals will either look for avian influenza virus using a molecular test, or will try to grow the virus.
Growing avian influenza viruses should only be done in laboratories with biosafety and biocontainment procedures in place. If it is late in the illness, it may be difficult to find an avian influenza virus directly using these methods. If this is the case, it may still be possible to diagnose avian influenza by looking for evidence of the body's response to the virus. However, this is not always an option, because it requires two blood specimens (one taken during the first few days of illness and another taken some weeks later), and it can take several weeks to verify the results.
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Last Updated: 03/21/2007
