WHO/ISIRV/FIND Consultation on Diagnosis of H5N1 Avian Influenza Infections in Humans

19-20 February 2007

Any successful plan for containing an influenza pandemic should rely on an accurate diagnosis of newly emerging influenza virus strains Yet, a general consensus on the most effective and accurate diagnostic approaches for the currently circulating H5N1 avian influenza (AI) strains is still pending.

To respond to this need, more than 40 scientists, clinicians, researchers and industry representatives came together for the first consultation on Diagnosis of H5N1 Avian Influenza Infections in Humans. The meeting was co-organized by the Global Influenza Programme (GIP) of the World Health Organization, the International Society for Influenza and other Respiratory Virus Diseases (ISIRV) and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). This marked the first time public and private sectors met at length to discuss this timely issue.

The specific objectives of the consultation were:

• to define the state of the art for H5N1 diagnostics in humans,
• to identify regional issues related to H5N1 diagnostic capacity,
• to identify major gaps in H5N1 diagnostic capability for humans,
• to enhance understanding of the regulatory and quality assurance environments impinging upon availability of diagnostics for H5N1,
• to foster dialogue between WHO and the industry on ways forward for H5N1 diagnostics.

The participants concluded that there is a pressing need for a WHO strategic plan that aims to strengthen laboratory testing, especially in those countries affected by avian influenza, and to provide clarity on use of point-of-care tests. It is also essential that WHO reinforces the importance of collecting clinical material from the field and delivering it to reference laboratories in order to evaluate on a continuous basis the ability of diagnostic tests to detect the currently circulating strains. Future work should explore the availability of validation panels such as global repositories of viruses/avian influenza samples.

This meeting underlined the need for an ongoing partnership between public and private sectors, and for international networking and sharing of information and material resources to contain avian influenza.