What You Need To Know
As part of ongoing avian influenza, A(H5N1) response efforts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Jersey Department of Health’s (NJDOH) Communicable Disease Service (CDS) are recommending subtyping of all influenza A virus positive specimens from hospitalized patients on an accelerated basis. This accelerated subtyping is part of a comprehensive strategy to identify severe human infections with avian influenza A(H5) viruses, in addition to characterizing seasonal influenza viruses in a timely fashion.
- To date, no influenza A(H5) human cases or dairy cattle detections have been reported in NJ.
- Seasonal human influenza activity remains elevated across most of the country and the state.
- Respiratory activity including influenza circulation continues to be summarized through the weekly Respiratory Report and Respiratory Illness Dashboard
- CDC has routinely recommended influenza testing for hospitalized patients with suspected influenza.
- Moving forward, clinicians and laboratorians are reminded to expedite the subtyping of influenza A positive specimens from hospitalized patients, particularly those in an intensive care unit (ICU).
- While the risk to the public remains low, NJDOH will continue to monitor the situation and requests the healthcare community to remain vigilant and take actions as outlined in the attached document.