Researchers at New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry), in collaboration with Rheonix, Inc. (Ithaca, NY), are developing a novel test for Zika virus that uses saliva to identify diagnostic markers of the virus in a fraction of the time of current commercial tests. The test, which was adapted from an existing model developed by NYU and Rheonix for rapid HIV testing. Outbreaks of infectious diseases are occurring with growing frequency thanks to factors such as population concentration and global air travel. A 2015 outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil spread to other countries in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Southern United States, leading the World Health Organization to declare Zika and its link to birth defects a public health emergency. The recent Zika virus outbreak confirms that we need an effective surveillance and diagnostic program to reduce the impact of future emerging.

Blood samples are most often used to test for Zika virus and are typically processed using a common diagnostic technique called real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). But blood may not be the best fluid: While the virus disappears in the blood a week or two after a person is infected, it can persist longer in saliva, semen, and urine. In addition, antibodies can remain for months or years in those bodily fluids, which is why it is essential for diagnosis to also detect antibodies after infection. The research team is building on its earlier collaborative work with Rheonix developing a rapid saliva test for HIV that can detect both viral RNA and antibodies.

Regards
ALEX JOHN
Editorial Assistant
Journal of infectious disease and dignosis