U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith, D-Huntsville, today asked for renewed effort to combat the H1N1, or Swine Flu, virus. This comes in the wake of news that Alabama doctors are overwhelmed with patients reporting flu-like symptoms, according to Griffith's office.
Griffith urges for the training of first responders and a stronger commitment to the initial diagnosis of swine flu.
"Swift diagnosis leads to swift treatment," Griffith said. "The faster we can identify swine flu, the faster we can isolate and treat it. The work performed here at HudsonAlpha in that regard has proved to be nothing short of amazing. The brain power and resources available right here in north Alabama can play a key role in stopping a future outbreak dead in its tracks."
Griffith wants to use a test produced by the Huntsville-based HudsonAlpha Instute, called Tem-PCR, that can search for and indentify multiple strains of influenza and other pathogens in a single test run.