State labs get new, faster flu test

The federal Food and Drug Administration approved a new genetic influenza test that will enable state labs to identify flu strains within four hours, instead of four days (Source: “State health labs to adopt CDC's faster flu test,” Columbus Dispatch/Associates Press, Oct. 1, 2008).

"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," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Julie Gerberding said in a prepared statement.