Sylvia Burwell, HHS secretary, has approved emergency use authorization for a diagnostic that tests for Zika virus based on antibodies found in the blood up to 12 weeks after infection.
"[The secretary] determined that there is a significant potential for a public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad and that involves Zika virus," a Food and Drug Administration statement reads.
The CDC plans to distribute the test to qualified laboratories both in the U.S. and in other countries over a two week period. The antibody testing window is from about four days after infection to 12 weeks, according to the CDC. Testing outside of this window can return a false-negative. No commercially available FDA-approved tests currently exist.