Similar to Covid, laboratory testing is required to identify a human bird flu virus infection based only on clinical signs and symptoms.
Swabs may be taken from the patient’s eye, nose, or throat to test for avian flu. US health experts point out that taking a sample within the first few days of sickness improves the accuracy of the test.
The diagnosis of bird flu virus infection in critically sick individuals might also result from the collection and examination of lower respiratory tract specimens.
However, it could be challenging to find the bird flu virus in a collection for certain individuals who have completely healed or who are no longer critically ill.
The first bird flu fatality was recorded by US authorities in January, involving a patient in Louisiana who had been admitted to the hospital due to severe respiratory symptoms.
