WHO to recommend not testing for H1N1 flu

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 7 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization in Switzerland is preparing to recommend countries stop testing to confirm influenza A H1N1, officials say.

WHO officials said that in the next few days, most countries should simply assume its flu cases are due to the novel H1N1 flu virus and that countries with large outbreaks of H1N1 flu, or swine flu, stop laboratory confirmation and move toward larger, national indicators of disease, such as numbers of influenza-like symptoms and pneumonia cases, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, said in a telephone news conference that the numerous cases of flu in some countries is overwhelming laboratories and making it "very hard to keep up" with testing.

In most countries with large outbreaks of the virus, 95 percent or more of all flu cases are now caused by the new virus, Fukuda said.

"In countries with no cases, we will continue to recommend that people be tested so the presence of the new virus can be confirmed," Fukuda told reporters. "In all countries, we will continue to stress testing for unusual cases, clusters, unusually severe cases and new symptoms."

The H1N1 flu is spreading through the Northern Hemisphere this summer -- a time flu viruses normally don't spread -- and its effect is escalating in the southern half of the globe, where it is the traditional winter flu season, Fukuda said.

"The single most important point, at this time, is that we are not recommending any clinical changes to ... treating patients," Fukuda added.