Key points
- To determine if you have Zika virus disease (Zika), your healthcare provider will ask about recent travel and symptoms you are experiencing.
- Your healthcare provider may order blood or urine tests to help determine if you have Zika.
- Testing should take place as soon as possible, while you still have symptoms.
Only some people need to be tested for Zika
Testing for Zika is recommended if:
- You have symptoms of Zika and traveled to a geographic area with an active CDC Zika Travel Health Notice.
- You have symptoms of Zika, are not pregnant and traveled to a country with current or past Zika virus transmission outside of the US and its territories.
- You are pregnant, experiencing symptoms of Zika, and traveled to a country with current or past Zika virus transmission.
- You are pregnant, experiencing symptoms of Zika and had sex with someone who lives in or recently traveled to areas with current or past Zika virus transmission.
- Your doctor sees Zika-associated congenital abnormalities on an ultrasound or you deliver a baby with birth defects that may be associated with Zika infection and have traveled to or had sex during pregnancy with someone living in or with recent travel to a country with current or past Zika virus transmission.
Testing is no longer routinely recommended if you are a person who is pregnant and are not experiencing symptoms of Zika. However, after talking with your doctor, testing may be considered if you traveled to a country with an active CDC Zika Travel Health Notice or current or past Zika virus transmission.
Testing for Zika to determine if it is safe to get pregnant is not recommended.
How Zika is diagnosed
- To determine if you have Zika, a doctor or other healthcare provider will ask about recent travel and symptoms you are experiencing.
- Testing may include a molecular test, which looks for presence of the virus in the body or serological testing which looks for antibodies your body makes to fight infection.
- Testing should take place as soon as possible, while you still have symptoms.
If you have tested positive for Zika
- If you are pregnant, you may be at risk of passing Zika virus to your fetus.
- You may be at risk of passing Zika virus to your sex partner(s).
- You may be at risk of passing Zika virus to mosquitoes if bitten. These mosquitoes can then become infected with Zika virus and spread the virus to other people. To protect others, prevent mosquito bites during the first week of illness.