U.S. Labs Prepare For Zika Testing Needs That Could Outpace Current Capacity
An analysis identifies a significant gap between resources on hand and the potential need if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's worst-case outbreak scenario comes to pass. Meanwhile, new transmission research finds that the virus can linger in vaginal tissue and an infant's bloodstream for much longer than previously thought.
The Wall Street Journal:
Zika Virus’s Spread Pushes Testing Labs To Expand Capacity
As summer drew near, the nation’s health officials took stock of whether they could handle a surge in demand for Zika diagnostic tests if disease-carrying mosquitoes began to proliferate. A survey of state and local laboratories found enough capacity to perform 3,500 to 5,000 tests a week for the Zika virus. But that wouldn’t be enough to meet demand under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s worst-case scenario for a domestic Zika outbreak. (Evans, 8/25)
CNN:
Zika Can Hide In Vagina, Baby's Bloodstream
More surprises from the world of Zika research this week: The virus can hide in vaginal tissue and the bloodstream of infected infants much longer than anyone expected, with dangerous consequences. In most people, Zika lives in the blood for about seven days and then resolves. It can last a bit longer in urine and saliva, but even that goes away after a couple of weeks, leaving antibody testing of the blood as the only way to determine whether you've had the virus. (LaMotte, 8/25)
Dallas Morning News:
Zika Flourishes In The Vagina, Study Finds
The vagina is a welcoming home for Zika. In a new study published today, researchers at Yale University found that Zika reproduced in the vaginas of pregnant mice four to five days after infection and that the virus spread from the vagina to the fetal brain. ... We already know that Zika can spread through sex. The second documented case of sexually transmitted Zika was in Dallas earlier this year. In that case, the virus was spread through sex between two men. Last month, the first case of a woman spreading Zika to a man through sex was reported. (Yasmin, 8/25)
