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Medical Author:

Steven Fine, MD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In most cases, diagnosis of the flu is determined by the symptoms, especially when these occur during the peak flu season. Sometimes, the doctor may need to perform special tests to be sure the influenza virus is responsible for the symptoms.

A sample is taken from the back of the throat or nose. To take a sample, the doctor uses a cotton-tipped wooden stick and simply rubs the cotton tip at the back of the throat or inside the nose. The sample is sealed in a packet and sent to the lab for testing. Some offices may use a rapid test that can be performed in the office with the result available in 30 minutes. Some rapid tests detect only influenza A virus, while others can detect both influenza A and influenza B. Some cases of the flu may be missed by the rapid tests.

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