State health department reports or CDC announcements

CDC Urges 24-Hour Bird Flu Testing Amid Rising Seasonal Flu Cases, Plans Vaccine Stockpile

Jan 16, 2025, 05:19 PM

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Health Advisory urging hospitals to accelerate subtyping of influenza A in hospitalized patients, particularly those in intensive care units, amid ongoing sporadic cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) and high levels of seasonal flu activity. The CDC recommends that influenza A-positive patients be tested for subtype identification ideally within 24 hours of hospitalization to prevent delays in antiviral treatment and enhance public health responses. Hospitals previously sent samples for subtyping every few days, but the new guidance emphasizes faster testing. While the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low, the advisory aims to improve infection control, contact tracing, and timely public health investigations. Recent cases of avian flu have been detected in individuals without known exposure to infected animals, prompting the CDC to emphasize faster testing protocols. The advisory also follows reports of H5N1 outbreaks in poultry and zoo animals, as well as a recent fatality in Louisiana. In addition, the CDC has announced plans to rebuild a bird flu vaccine stockpile as part of its preparedness efforts. The advisory coincides with the transition to the Trump administration, which has been briefed on pandemic response plans.