07/02/2026

ODH Calls on Healthcare Providers to Boost Summer Influenza Surveillance Amid Novel Flu Monitoring Efforts

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Bureau of Infectious Diseases is seeking support from healthcare providers to strengthen summer influenza viral surveillance.

Healthcare providers are being asked to work with their local health department during the summer months to coordinate submission of specimens which are positive for influenza A or B on RT-PCR or rapid molecular tests to the ODH Public Health Laboratory for confirmatory testing and subtyping. If testing volume is such that submitting all positives is prohibitive, it is recommended that providers prioritize submission of specimens from severely ill patients (e.g., hospitalized patients, including ICU patients). If feasible, submitting specimens for surveillance testing of influenza positive emergency department patients and other outpatients is recommended. This increased influenza surveillance will continue through Sept. 30, 2026.

Although there is minimal seasonal influenza activity in Ohio at this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is requesting continued testing of influenza specimens at state public health laboratories to maintain situational awareness and ensure adequate novel influenza surveillance.

With the beginning of Ohio’s agricultural fair season, it is also important to be mindful of potential human infections with swine variant influenza and avian influenza viruses (e.g., H3N2v, H1N1v, H1N2v, H5N1). When animal influenza viruses infect people, they are considered novel influenza A infections, a Class A notifiable condition, and should be reported immediately by telephone to the local health department in whose jurisdiction the patient lives.

Novel influenza A should be considered in people with respiratory illness and recent contact with dairy cattle, raw milk, wild birds, poultry, or swine or in those who have recently attended an agricultural fair. Healthcare providers should collect specimens from these individuals promptly and contact their local health department to arrange for specimen submissions to the ODH Public Health Laboratory to be evaluated for suspected novel influenza A infections. Upper respiratory (e.g., nasopharyngeal, nasal, oropharyngeal swabs), conjunctival, and lower respiratory (e.g., bronchoalveolar lavages, sputum, tracheal aspirates) specimens are appropriate specimen types for submission to ODH. If available, lower respiratory specimens are preferred for testing of patients with lower respiratory illness. Conjunctival swabs should be collected (in addition to respiratory specimens) from patients who present with conjunctivitis and have suspect novel influenza A infection.

Please visit https://odh.ohio.gov/ or contact the Ohio Department of Health at (614) 466-3543 with questions.