Zika Virus Test

A Zika virus test looks for signs of the Zika infection in your blood or urine. Zika is a type of flavivirus, as is dengue fever and West Nile. Like those viral infections, Zika is usually spread by mosquitoes, especially in areas with tropical climates, such as parts of Central and South America, Africa, Mexico, and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Because Zika can enter bodily fluids such as blood, urine (pee), and semen, it can also spread through sex with an infected person or from a pregnant woman to her fetus. There are two types of tests used to check for Zika infections: Molecular tests. These tests look for genetic material from the Zika virus.

The tests are also called nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT or NAT). A PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) is a common type of molecular test that checks for the Zika virus in a sample of your blood or urine. This test is recommended if you're pregnant.; Antibody tests.

Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight viruses and other germs. A Zika antibody test checks a sample of your blood for the antibodies that fight Zika. Your body needs time to make antibodies.

So, to be accurate, an antibody test can be done starting within a week after symptoms begin.; Zika virus outbreaks tend to come and go. The recommendations for Zika testing are likely to change as outbreaks develop and disappear. Even without confirmed cases of Zika in the U.S., it is still possible to get the infection.

Why this test is done

You may need a Zika virus test if you are pregnant and have recently traveled to an area where there is a risk of Zika infection. You may also need a Zika test if you are pregnant and have had sex with a partner who traveled to one of these areas.

A Zika test might be ordered if you have symptoms of Zika. Most people with Zika don't have symptoms, but when there are symptoms, they often include:

• Fever.
• Rash.
• Joint pain.
• Muscle pain.
• Headache.
• Red eyes (pink eye, also called conjunctivitis).

How to prepare

You don't need any special preparations for a Zika virus test.

Sample type

Blood Urine

Other names for this test

Zika Antibody Test, Zika RT-PCR Test, Zika test