Scientists develop first hospital-based rapid Zika virus test

Scientists from two hospitals in the United States have developed the country's first hospital-based rapid test for the Zika virus, significantly cutting the diagnosis time, local media reported on Tuesday.

The diagnosis time has been shortened from a month to as little as one day thanks to joint efforts by scientists at the Houston Methodist hospital and Texas Children's hospital, the ABC13 TV station reported.

The test can detect the genetic material of the virus from blood, amniotic fluid, spinal fluid or urine.

Initially the hospitals will make the test available only to their patients, but they are talking to other facilities about the possibility of testing outside patients.

Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, believed that the test will be important for tracking the Zika virus throughout the region if, as expected, local transmission occurs once the weather warms and mosquitoes become more active.

The virus causes only mild symptoms in most people but scientists believe it is linked to microcephaly, or an abnormally small head in newborns. It is mainly spread by mosquito bites. But there have been at least two reported cases of sexual transmission, including a recent case in Texas.

There currently is no vaccine or treatment for Zika and the best way to avoid infection is to prevent mosquito bites. Endi