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- CDC Issues Guidance for H5N1 Sample Submission
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ramped up efforts to increase surveillance for H5N1, a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The agency has issued guidance for submission of samples to local public health laboratories, instructing commercial laboratories to increase their submissions of influenza samples to their public health laboratories despite the usual lower case counts during the spring and summer months.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has temporarily loosened restrictions on transport and possession of certain agents and toxins that are key to conducting research into H5N1. These measures are being undertaken to better understand the spread of the disease and how to combat it. The CDC continues to recommend laboratories adopt a state of “heightened readiness” regarding the spread of H5N1.