How do you test for the influenza virus?

Because the flu can often mimic other illnesses, some doctors prefer to test their patients to see if they are truly suffering from the flu. If the patient falls into a high-risk category, getting an accurate diagnosis quickly means he can start taking medication to reduce the severity of flu symptoms.

Swabs

Your doctor has the option of performing a rapid-diagnosis test for flu to give you a quick answer. If you have a health condition that puts you in a high-risk category, getting a quick confirmation of the flu can enable your doctor to prescribe an anti-viral medication that will help treat your flu symptoms.

If he suspects you might have the flu, he will swab your throat or nose. If he has the materials in his office, he can run a rapid test and know the results within 15 minutes.

Depending on the virus, the test is reliable, and can determine if you have Type A or Type B influenza.

Culures and Stains

Rapid-diagnostic tests for influenza are available. They can aid in the management of a possible flu outbreak. Your doctor has a variety of methods to obtain viral samples to test for the influenza virus.

These include the throat and nasal swab, sputum testing, bronchial wash, nasal wash and nasal aspirate tests. If you need a rapid diagnosis, your doctor will select the diagnostic test that provides accurate results within a short period of time. This can be critical if you need to minimize the severity of your flu.

Some of the tests available to doctors will need to be shipped to a lab to be cultured. It can take from three days to more than two weeks for some results. If you have a condition such as diabetes or asthma, you should insist on a rapid-diagnostic test, so you can begin to treat your illness immediately.

Testing for H1N1

If your doctor suspects you are suffering from H1N1 flu, he needs to obtain a swab from your throat or nose to get a definitive diagnosis. The swab is shipped to a lab to be tested for H1N1. Because the symptoms of H1N1 are similar to other strains of flu and other illnesses, the only way to get a correct diagnosis is to provide a swab to be tested.

Source:

Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Influenza: Information for Health Care Professionals

Flu Test: Detecting Flu Viruses