For the latest guidance surrounding Zika, including on prevention and on caring for pregnant women and infants, review the CDC’s Zika Virus information for health care providers.
Providers caring for NYC residents should use commercial laboratories for all Zika virus testing. For questions about testing or to report Zika-positive cases that have been diagnosed by a commercial laboratory, call 866-692-3641 or report it online.
Testing is available at the NYC Public Health Laboratory, but only for special situations. You must get pre-approval before submitting any specimens. Approval may be granted in the following situations:
A recent study demonstrated that, similar to other flavirivus infections, Zika IgM antibodies may persist for over a year after infection. Also, serologic cross reactivity with dengue virus can produce a positive Zika IgM result. Determining the timing of infection relative to pregnancy may be complicated for women with prior or ongoing exposure. Providers should appreciate and convey to patients the limitations of Zika serology for clinical decision-making.
A positive Zika IgM antibody test result for a pregnant person could mean:
For help interpreting test results, call 866-692-3641, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.