HHS awards contract to develop rapid, high-capacity Zika diagnostic test

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has awarded a $2.6 million contract to further develop a test that may help physicians determine more quickly whether a patient was infected recently with Zika virus. The automated laboratory test uses a system that can test up to 120 samples at once and generate results within an hour. “Accurate, rapid Zika diagnostic tests to determine whether someone recently has been infected are critical to ensuring the best health outcomes during the current outbreak,” said Richard Hatchett, M.D., acting director for ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. “Identifying Zika cases more quickly helps people take steps to avoid additional transmission that much sooner, which helps protect pregnant women and others at risk of Zika infection.”