In a potential outbreak, is bird flu testing available for humans? What to know

Several people have tested positive for bird flu in the U.S., raising questions about the availability of tests in the event of a potential outbreak.

As of July 11, the H5N1 virus has affected more than 99 million poultry (in all 50 states), more than 9,500 wild birds (in 48 states) and more than 145 dairy herds (in 12 states), according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Five human cases have been reported since 2022, including a farm worker infected in Colorado and dairy workers ill in Texas and Michigan.

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As of June 28, only 53 people have been tested for the virus associated with the dairy cow outbreak, according to the CDC.

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At this point, only governmental health departments are providing H5N1 avian influenza testing, according to Edward Liu, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

"However, the CDC is taking steps to ramp up the nation’s capacity to test for the flu virus, asking private companies to develop and increase the number and types of tests that can effectively detect H5N1 infections in people," Liu told Fox News Digital via email.

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"A recent announcement from the CDC seemed to indicate that multiple private organizations are working on developing tests."

Private companies, however, will likely not ramp up production unless there is a clear demand for avian flu tests due to increasing numbers, Liu added.

Neal Barnard, M.D., an adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, confirmed there are currently no consumer-level tests for bird flu. 

"The home tests for flu (which can be bought on Amazon, for example) are not sensitive to bird flu," he told Fox News Digital in an email.

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"If a person has symptoms and an exposure history suggestive of bird flu, a doctor can send a swab sample to the state health department, which can arrange appropriate testing, but this is rarely done."

In a June 10 memo, the CDC issued a public statement warning of a lack of testing availability.

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified this virus as a major public health concern, as it has the potential to cause a global pandemic," the statement read. 

"The current testing capabilities for influenza A(H5) are limited, which could hinder efforts to contain and control the virus in the event of an outbreak."

Currently, only the CDC and certain jurisdictional public health laboratories are equipped to test for and diagnose bird flu, according to the agency.

"This poses a significant problem, as these laboratories may not have the capacity to handle a large number of cases in the event of an H5 epidemic or pandemic," the statement said. 

"This could result in delays in diagnosing and treating individuals, leading to the further spread of the virus."

It also noted, "The amount of testing required in the event of an emergency may quickly exceed the capacity to test at public health laboratories, both domestically and internationally."

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To address the situation, the CDC called for private companies to design a lab developed test (LDT) to gain regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The tests currently available to individuals will alert that a person has the flu — but may not be able to determine if it is avian flu (which is a flu A variant) versus other circulating strains of flu, the expert said. 

"However, at the least, that broad detection will give enough information for a clinician to start the patient on antiviral medication, like Tamiflu, which currently will treat avian flu," Liu noted.

A number of tests are available to detect flu viruses, the doctor said.

The most common are rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs), which detect parts of the virus that stimulate an immune response. 

"These tests can provide results within approximately 10 to 15 minutes, but may not be as accurate as other flu tests," Liu said. 

Other flu tests, called rapid molecular assays, detect the genetic material of the flu virus.

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"Rapid molecular assays produce results in 15 to 20 minutes and are more accurate than RIDTs," Liu said.

The CDC has recommended molecular tests due to their greater sensitivity.

"There are several other, more accurate flu tests available that must be performed in specialized laboratories, such as hospitals and public health laboratories," Liu said.

These advanced tests — reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), viral culture and immunofluorescence assays — will be able to differentiate avian flu from other strains of flu, the doctor said.  

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"These tests require a health care provider to swipe the inside of the nose or the back of the throat with a swab and then send it for testing," he said. "Results may take one to several hours."

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC requesting comment.