Easy take a look at for flu might enhance prognosis and surveillance

Fewer than one p.c of people that get the flu yearly get examined, partly as a result of most checks require skilled personnel and costly tools. Now researchers have developed a low-cost paper strip take a look at that might enable extra sufferers to search out out which sort of flu they’ve and get the best therapy. The take a look at makes use of CRISPR to differentiate between the 2 primary kinds of seasonal flu, influenza A and B, in addition to seasonal flu subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. It might additionally establish strains that resist antiviral therapy, and with additional work, might probably detect swine and avian flu strains, together with H5N1, which is at the moment infecting cattle.