DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF NEWS) – Dallas County will soon be able to test for Zika Virus locally without having to ship tests to the Centers for Disease Control.
The testing will not be open to everyone according to Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zach Thompson.
“This testing is for those patients who meet the requirements regarding travel and pregnancy,” Thompson said. “That’s a priority because of the potential birth defects to a newborn based on the Zika Virus.”
If the patient is a man of a woman who is not pregnant or is not planning on becoming pregnant, the local testing would not apply.
Of the 20% of victims who become symptomatic, the Zika Virus is comparable to a mild flu.
Local testing could begin next week.
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