STAT : declared in Zika testing recommendations changed for pregnant women

There's never been anything easy about the Zika virus outbreak, and a new complication is now coming to light. The new guidance also suggests that if an amniocentesis test is done, doctors should consider testing the fluid using the Zika nucleic acid test. Likewise, pregnant women who develop symptoms of Zika or who have a sexual partner who tests positive for Zika should be promptly tested using the nucleic acid test. "However, if dengue virus transmission were to increase, guidance for interpretation of Zika virus IgM testing results may need to be reconsidered," the CDC said. Pregnant women should be counseled on the limitations of these tests, the CDC guidance advises.

Zika testing guidance for pregnant women

The CDC recommends testing for Zika virus infection for pregnant women who have possible exposure to an area with risk of Zika virus infection with a CDC Zika travel notice, even if they do not have symptoms. The U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry, Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System in Puerto Rico and rapid Zika Birth Defects Surveillance continue to collect information about Zika and help guide our nation's response. Testing infants for congenital Zika virus infection should be performed within the first 2 days after birth, particularly in areas where Zika virus is currently circulating. Zika virus testing is recommended for infants born to mothers with laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection during pregnancy, and for infants who have abnormal clinical findings suggestive of congenital Zika virus syndrome and a maternal epidemiologic link suggesting possible exposure during pregnancy, regardless of maternal Zika virus test results. The CDC recently updated guidance on the interpretation of Zika testing results for women who plan on becoming pregnant and live in or frequently travel to areas where Zika is circulating.


WASHINGTON — District of Columbia officials say a pregnant woman tested positive for the Zika virus after initially being told she tested negative last year. The CDC said 394 samples tested negative and results were inconclusive for 26 samples. Another woman and man also tested positive, after first being told they were negative. The city's Department of Forensic Sciences announced Monday that it shared the disturbing news with a woman who was pregnant at the time of her test. The city was forced to send more than 400 samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for retesting after a scientist made a math error.


collected by :Lucy William
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