Local Lab to Test Zika Virus Samples

When someone in San Diego shows symptoms that may be considered the Zika virus, there will be a local lab available to process the test. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cleared the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) to test clinical specimens for Zika virus Monday, April 4.

The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) is one of the six laboratories in California, three of which are located in Southern California, that are authorized at this time to use the new test to detect for Zika virus.

The center can test for zika along with other tropical viruses that have similar early symptoms to zika, like dengue and chikungunya viruses. 

The Trioplex Real-time RT-PCR Assay (Trioplex rRT-PCR), a new test developed by the CDC, is not available in local hospitals and clinics. 

However, if the patient’s sample resembles symptoms of Zika, they will still send samples to assigned Laboratory Response Network (LRN) laboratories designated by the CDC. 

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