Current Best Practices for Respiratory Virus Testing

Diagnostic testing for respiratory viruses has been revolutionized by recent advances that have made rapid and highly accurate tests accessible to clinical laboratories, and it is important that these improved methods be utilized. Accurate detection of respiratory viruses is important in patient care, as it guides both therapy and infection control measures. On a larger scale, the CDC and its collaborating laboratories collect both data and isolates from clinical laboratories for national surveillance, and the use of high-quality tests in clinical laboratories can improve the quality of these data.