An inside look at testing for H1N1

LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) - Inside the Data and Specimen Handling Unit, up to 100 samples of potential flu viruses are received each day for laboratory testing. Around 70% test positive, and 90% of those positive tests confirm what many already suspected.

State health officials, who call H1N1 a pandemic, opened up the high-security state laboratory to 24 Hour News 8 to show how the state is tracking and fighting the spread of the flu.

"If people are reporting they have influenza like illness, it's probably H1N1," said Dr. Frances Pouch Downes, the state laboratory director.

Researchers throughout the state government have been pulled into the lab to deal with the onslaught of cases. They've been busy, but not every suspected case of the flu is tested.

"We have strict rules on which specimens we have to test," said Dr. Anthony Muyombe of the Michigan Department of Community Health. "We're looking into patients who were in the ICU. We're looking at pregnant women and with severe illness."

After receiving samples, lab workers begin their analysis. Flu strains have their own genetic fingerprints.

"We can determine the difference between seasonal and H1N1 novel by looking at the RNA and the PCR amplification," biologist Virginia Leykam told 24 Hour News 8.

That helps determine which strain it is, and that process takes about 24 hour s once the samples hit the labs.

But chances are if you have H1N1, your doctor already started treatment, whether or not it's confirmed. In most cases, it's the same as for any bug: stay home, drink fluids, get rest.

So why test?

The idea is not to treat the bug, but to track and monitor it. Tracking gives local public health officials a better idea of how widespread the virus is in their community, and the best way to respond.

Keeping an eye on the bug makes sure it stays in check.

"Things can happen like the viruses can change more virulent, which means it causes a more severe disease," said Dr. Downes. "And of course, we monitor for that."