Online Resources for Families, Physicians and Clinic Staff
Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Update Revised Testing Algorithm
Please read and distribute the following information from Ventura
County Public Health Lab Director, Brett Austin:
Per guidance from the CDC and the State, we are revising our testing
algorithm.
Future specimen acceptance will be limited due to the California
Department of Public Health requests that testing be limited to
prioritized patients as follows:
Hospitalized patients with ILI
Direct health care providers with ILI
Outpatients with ILI in the following categories should be
prioritized for testing:
First case with ILI in a high-risk setting for transmission
(e.g., prison, homeless shelter)
Patient is part of an outbreak or cluster of people with ILI
(only one patient of the cluster needs lab testing. Specimens can be
collected from >2 patients to increase the likelihood of detecting
Influenza A.
