The Mustang

Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: News

o within 7 days of travel to
community either within the United States or
internationally where there are one or more
confirmed swine influenza A(H1N1) cases, or

o resides in a community where
there are one or more confirmed swine influenza cases:

we ask that you collect a nasopharyngeal swab for
viral culture and call the Epidemiology and
Response Division epidemiologist on-call at 505-827-0006.

Persons with acute febrile respiratory illness
should stay home from work or school to avoid
spreading infections (including influenza and
other respiratory illnesses) to others in their
communities. In addition, frequent hand washing
can lessen the spread of respiratory illness. If
your condition worsens or you have questions
about your illness, please contact your health care provider.

SPECIMEN COLLECTION: Please collect up to 2 (one
for your in-house rapid testing and one for the
state lab culture) nasopharyngeal swab from each
patient with ILI, placing the swab in a standard
container with 2-3 ml of viral transport media.
If the patient is hospitalized with pneumonia,
specimens from the lower respiratory tract (e.g.,
tracheal aspirate, bronchoalveolar lavage) should
also be obtained. Specimens should be collected
within the first 24-72 hours of onset of symptoms
and no later than 5 days after onset of symptoms.

Specimens should be shipped to: Scientific
Laboratory Division, 700 Camino De Salud NE
Albuquerque, NM 871 6 (505) 841-2500.

SPECIMEN STORAGE: The specimens should be kept
refrigerated at 4ºC and sent on cold packs if
they can be received by the Scientific Lab
Division (State PH lab) within 72 hours of the
collection date. If samples will not be received
by the laboratory within 72 hours of collection,
they must be frozen at -70 ºC or below and shipped on dry ice.


GUIDANCE:

Continued...

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