Rapid, Easy Zika Test Developed

Original Source: HealthDay News A new fast, easy and cheap “dipstick” test for the Zika and dengue viruses could revolutionize public health response to dangerous tropical germs, a new study reports. The test accurately diagnoses Zika and dengue and can tell the two mosquito-borne viruses apart, an area in which commercially available tests now stumble, said senior researcher Lee Gehrke, a professor with the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science. “In light of the problems with Zika virus causing microcephaly [a genetic abnormality resulting in a smaller-than-normal head] and other defects in babies born to infected mothers, it’s very important a pregnant woman would know if her fever is caused by Zika virus or dengue virus,” said Gehrke, who’s also a professor at Harvard Medical School. Read the full article here: https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_168681.html