Swine Flu (H1N1) Vaccine Slideshow Pictures Swine Flu (H1N1) FAQ Slideshow Pictures Strep or Sore Throat Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

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.

View Full Profile

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.

View Full Profile

Exams and Tests

Swine influenza can be confirmed by culturing respiratory secretions such as sputum or nasal/throat secretions, but this is expensive and not often done. Rapid tests are available to give a general idea if an influenza strain is present, but they are far from perfect and may not pick up swine influenza or even regular seasonal influenza. In fact, the CDC does not recommend the use of rapid tests because the results are often inaccurate. Specific testing for the genetic material of the virus, such as a test called a polymerase chain reaction or PCR, may be done at state health departments or at the CDC. Your local laboratory will have a procedure in place to send specimens to the health department when necessary.

It is not possible or economically feasible to test every symptomatic patient for swine flu once a community has multiple cases. If there are large numbers of cases of swine flu present in the community, the laboratory will usually stop doing specific tests for swine flu and will simply recommend that patients with symptoms be assumed to have the infection.