FDA approves emergency use of new Zika diagnostic tool

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for a new diagnostic tool that can detect whether an individual is currently infected with chikungunya, dengue or Zika, instead of having to perform separate tests for each virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today. “This EUA will potentially allow CDC to more rapidly perform testing to detect acute Zika virus infection,” the agency said. CDC will begin distributing the Trioplex Real-time RT-PCR Assay during the next two weeks to qualified laboratories in the Laboratory Response Network, an integrated network of domestic and international laboratories that respond to public health emergencies. The test will not be available in U.S. hospitals or primary care settings.