The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released an advisory recommending clinicians expedite subtyping of type A influenza samples from hospitalized patients, particularly individuals in an intensive care unit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hospitals treating people for the flu should test them for avian influenza within 24 hours.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed the first death in the United States linked to H5N1 bird flu. The patient, who was from

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging health care workers to accelerate bird flu testing for patients hospitalized with flu symptoms.

Flu activity remains high in Louisiana. That’s the word from state health officials and detailed in the Respiratory Virus Dashboard provided by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). In fact, community health specialist Dr. Eric Griggs says hospitalizations in Louisiana are up, as well.

The CDC is calling for expanded testing of bird flu after a child in California tested positive for the virus despite no known contact with animals.

The safest option during these unusual weather conditions? If possible, stay home and let Louisiana's natural ally - sunshine - do the work for you. However, if travel is necessary, take the time to properly clear your entire vehicle before heading out.

"The Chinese poultry lineage may have experienced more vaccine-driven selection compared to other lineages," the researchers wrote.

In 2023, the 10 leading causes of death remained the same as in 2022. The top leading cause in 2023 was heart disease, followed by cancer and unintentional injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When a pathogen — any organism that causes a disease — jumps species, scientists get nervous because its genetic makeup can reconfigure and become more transmissible or lethal.

Avian influenza A (H5N1) has mutated, so the symptoms of bird flu could change as more people get sick in 2025.

FRIDAY, Jan. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care workers to accelerate bird flu testing for patients hospitalized with flu symptoms, as the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues to grow in the United States and Canada.