Zika cases are on the rise in Ohio and across the U.S., and soon getting a diagnosis could be as simple as a piece of paper and a few dollars.
“Right now it’s not diagnosed well, it can take a relatively long period of time,” said Doctor James Collins with the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, “additionally, some of the tests can be quite problematic on distinguishing Zika from other related viruses.”
His team is working on a test to quickly and cheaply diagnose the Zika virus.
“It’s one that could be used in a doctor’s office or in an under-resourced lab in a developing world country, and in this case gives you an output anywhere from 90 minutes to two and a half hours after you have collected the sample,” said Collins.
This test would address an immediate need-- there are now 1,404 confirmed cases of Zika in the United States and 26 cases in Ohio, according to the latest CDC data.
Parents in the Miami Valley are worried and taking precautions against Zika-carrying mosquitoes.
The virus can be passed from a pregnant mother to her fetus and can cause microcephaly and other fetal brain defects, according to the CDC.
“I tend to avoid the evening outdoor hours that have a higher load of bugs in the air,” said Amanda Thompson of Beavercreek.
“We have a lot of mosquitoes in our yard and our area, so I try and keep my kids away from them. It is concerning because you don’t know what the long term effects are,” said Maggie Thompson of Dayton.
Dr. Collins says the test will only cost a couple of dollars and he hopes it could be used to detect a number of other diseases one day.
“We’re now looking to see-- can we extend it to develop a cheap test for HIV, for HPV? Can we develop a Lyme disease test? Can we extend it to cancer as a relatively cheap test,” said Collins.
He hopes one day the test could be sold over the counter.
“Our ultimate vision is that this could be used for at home care, for something like the flu or strep,” Collins said.
Pilot tests are expected soon in countries hard hit by the Zika crisis, like Brazil and Peru.
The test would need FDA approval to be used in the United States.
