How is avian influenza detected in humans?

Avian influenza cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone, so a laboratory test is required.swab collect from the nose or throat during the first few days of illness and then sent to a laboratory for molecular test for virus dectation If it is late in the illness, it may be difficult to find an avian influenza virus directly using these methods.If this is the case, it may still be possible to diagnose avian influenza by looking for evidence of the body's response to the virus.however This is not always an option because it requires two blood specimens (one taken during the first few days of illness and another taken some weeks later).