A new test to detect 2009 H1N1 flu virus infections in humans has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The test, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will help ensure the accuracy of influenza testing results among the approved laboratories that conduct influenza subtype testing in the U.S. and other nations, according to officials and will soon be made available to approved labs.

"This clearance represents several months of close collaboration between the FDA and the CDC," Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a CDC news release.