Respiratory Season is Here — What You Need to Know for 2025–2026

Influenza surveillance for the 2025–2026 season is officially underway, and the Montana Public Health Laboratory is gearing up to monitor circulating strains, track statewide trends, and support CDC characterization and antiviral resistance testing.

Report Your Flu/RSV Molecular Testing Numbers

Montana uses data from molecular surveillance partners to monitor influenza and RSV activity. Reporting this data is completely voluntary, but we ask that laboratories performing this testing consider reporting to help strengthen our data and analyses. You can report your molecular testing numbers here.

Surveillance Program Overview

This year’s influenza surveillance will mirror last season’s approach:

• 14 selected hospital laboratories will submit two specimens per week for fee-waived surveillance testing, even if specimens were already confirmed in-house using molecular methods.
• 33 additional clinical laboratories will receive five fee-waived tests to use at their discretion—for example:
• Confirming positive rapid test results
• Testing patients with influenza-like illness (ILI)

This network allows MTPHL to monitor geographic spread, identify circulating strains, and evaluate antiviral resistance patterns across Montana.

We encourage you to report suspected clusters, outbreaks, or other special circumstances surrounding ILI to your local or tribal health department. In these cases, special arrangements may be made for testing at MTPHL.

MTPHL also has a respiratory panel available for testing Influenza A, Influenza B, COVID, and RSV. For more information on this respiratory panel and other testing available at MTPHL, please visit Montana Public Health Laboratory Services Manual (mt.gov)

Reminder: Confirmatory testing for early-season rapid antigen positives is no longer required, but facilities are strongly encouraged to submit specimens for surveillance—especially during outbreak responses.

Specimen Submission Requirements

When sending specimens to MTPHL:

• Please do NOT send residual rapid test material
• Collect specimens in universal or viral transport media
• Ship specimens cold
• Use the online portal to order surveillance test requests

For questions, contact MTPHL at 1-800-821-7284.

Reporting & Additional Resources

• To report molecular testing numbers: https://form.jotform.com/252666180742157 Questions? Contact Viral Respiratory Epidemiologist Sam Saycich at Samantha.saycich@mt.gov

• For surveillance site & testing information: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/LaboratoryServices/WhatsNew/index
• For National influenza activity updates, visit the Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (FluView) https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivitysurv.htm
• For more information about Montana respiratory surveillance (COVID-19, Flu, RSV): https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/Pan-Respiratory/index

🙏 Thank You!

Your participation ensures a strong and effective Montana Influenza Surveillance Program. Together, we can keep communities healthy this respiratory season!