The CDC will retest more than 400 samples for Zika virus due to technical issues associated with samples taken from Washington, D.C.-area residents in December 2016, according to ABC News.
The District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences Public Health Laboratory resent 409 samples back to the CDC for testing after discovering "calculation and formulation errors" may have occurred when processing some of the tests, according to a spokesperson for the lab. Of the 409 laboratory samples being retested, 294 were extracted from pregnant women. Thus far, two women who originally tested negative for Zika have now tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus.
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"The CDC has prioritized these lab retests and, as they are completed, it is critical that patients are informed of the updated results so they can follow-up appropriately based on current clinical recommendations," said Christopher Zahn, MD, vice president of practice activities for The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, according to ABC News. "ACOG and the CDC have been in contact and continue to consult and collaborate and will issue any additional necessary information."
The specimens being retested were obtained between July 14, 2016 and December 14, 2016.
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