Agencies announce availability of commercial test for Zika, multi-country study
Testing for Zika virus infection using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction molecular assays is now commercially available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today. When requesting the testing from a commercial laboratory, health care providers should store a serum sample for subsequent testing, the agency said. Also today, the National Institutes of Health announced a multi-country study to evaluate the magnitude of health risks that Zika virus infection poses to pregnant women and their developing fetuses and infants. The study is opening in Puerto Rico and will expand to several locations in Brazil, Colombia and other areas that are experiencing active local transmission of the virus.
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