ATLANTA — The government approved a new genetic test for the flu virus Tuesday that will allow labs across the country to identify flu strains within four hours instead of four days.
The timesaving test could be crucial if a deadly new strain emerges, federal health officials said. The new test also could help doctors make better treatment decisions during a conventional flu season.
The new test was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Applied Biosystems Inc. of Foster City, Calif. The Food and Drug Administration approved the test kit Tuesday, and state health labs are expected to start using it this fall.
CDC officials celebrated it as a potential lifesaver, especially if the nation is hit by a pandemic of bird flu or some other mutant influenza.
“We’ll now be able to detect influenza in the community faster, which allows us to take steps more quickly to protect and save lives,” CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding said.
The CDC is requiring labs to buy Applied Biosystems equipment to run the test, and the CDC will provide the necessary chemicals.
About 20 to 30 state labs should be up and running by the end of the year, CDC officials said.
Each year, the flu results in 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths, according to official estimates. Health officials have been concerned about not only conventional forms of flu that circulate each year but new varieties in Asia.
They fear the current bird flu virus that has spread among Asian poultry and has killed some people could mutate into a deadly form that is easily spread among humans, potentially triggering a global pandemic.
