When available, urine tests should be the go-to for Zika virus testing, according to the CDC. Although blood tests have been recommended for infection detection due to their quick turnaround time and reliability, research suggests the virus is present for longer periods of time in urine and can be detected at higher levels.
Zika virus is generally only detectable in blood serum during the first week of infection, but toward the end of the week can be difficult to detect, according to the CDC. Based on new information, the CDC is recommending that real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, the strategy used to detect Zika viral loads in fluid, be used on urine collected within two weeks of the onset of symptoms.
Although cases of the virus have been reported in all 50 states, all of those have been contracted through travel to countries with outbreaks or sexually transmitted.