Update: CDC Issues Another New Guidance for Zika Virus Testing

With the number of domestic cases of Zika infection still growing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a new interim guidance for diagnosing the virus. The latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report notes that “on the basis of newly available data, CDC recommends that Zika virus rRT-PCR be performed on urine collected <14 days after onset of symptoms in patients with suspected Zika virus disease.” The new directive should help inform urgent care providers’ decisions on where to refer patients who present with symptoms indicative of Zika infection and who have traveled to areas where the mosquitos that carry the virus exist (eg, certain parts of Africa, the Caribbean, and Central America) or who have had sexual contact with someone who has traveled to those areas. The most common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The CDC says there have been 503 travel-related cases of Zika virus infection reported in the U.S., up 18% from the previous reporting period just 2 weeks prior. Florida, New York, and California lead the nation in confirmed cases.