ABSTRACT
The early detection of AI in human as well as in domestic and wild bird populations has been recognized as crucial to the implementation of timely and adequate prevention and control strategies. In the event of spillover of AI viruses into the human population it is of extreme importance to properly and promptly recognize the infection to prevent further spread and more serious consequences. The difculties to distinguish human inuenza caused by a seasonal inuenza virus from those cases due to avian inuenza infections, especially in the early phase of the infection, make the adoption of procedures to establish the etiology of clinical inuenzalike illness essential.
