At a glance
- This page provides information on novel influenza A virus testing for commercial laboratories.
Influenza A(H5) testing
Commercial laboratories that can conduct influenza A(H5) testing.
CDC has partnered with some commercial laboratories to expand influenza A(H5) testing capacity in the United States. These laboratory testing companies include:
- ARUP Laboratories
- Labcorp
- Quest Diagnostics
Availability of tests
Clinicians can now order influenza A(H5) tests from ARUP Laboratories, LabCorp, and Quest Diagnostics. This significantly increases access and diagnostic capacity.
Laboratory confirmation
Influenza A(H5) positive specimens should be shipped to CDC for additional testing, regardless of whether the laboratory has approval to confirm specimens.
Shipping Commercial Specimens to CDC
Commercial specimens sent to state public health laboratories/CDC should be shipped in the appropriate packaging and according to laboratory instructions. Store specimens frozen at ≤-70°C and ship on dry ice. Avoid thawing frozen specimens because viability of some viruses can be greatly diminished. All specimens should be labeled clearly and include information requested by CDC.
Shipping instructions
Specimens to be tested for novel influenza A virus that are shipped from laboratories to CDC should include all information required for seasonal influenza surveillance isolate or specimen submission.
Before sending specimens, state and local health departments should contact the CDC Influenza Division Epidemiology and Prevention Branch at (404) 639-3747 Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (or the on-call epidemiologist at (770) 488-7100 at all other times) or flusupport@cdc.gov.
Prior to shipping specimens, please reach out to flusupport@cdc.gov for shipping guidelines. Ship specimens to CDC at the following address:
Send diagnostic samples to:
Marie K. Kirby, Ph.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Influenza Division, H23-6 (Unit 198)
c/o STAT
1600 Clifton Rd, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329