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Zika Virus Antibody IgM  

 
IMPORTANT! Pre-approval needed from state or local health department. Local or State Health Department. Send approval to NPHL@unmc.edu or call (402) 559-9444.

NPHL has moved to an electronic ordering system, NUlirt, and it is now the preferred method to order all tests. Once ordered, print a "batch list" (see NUlirt Guide).

Forms Required - Nulirt batch list or NPHL Test Request Form (completed in entirety) must accompany the specimen to include the following information: symptoms and date of onset, pregnancy status, travel and vaccine history. Testing will not be performed without all required information.

Please call NPHL Client Services at (402) 559-2440 or toll free at (800) 334-0459 for further clarification.

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Test: Zika Virus Antibody IgM   
Synonym: Arbovirus, Arbo-Serology, Zika virus serology  
Method: ELISA  
Availability: Test performed Monday-Friday; Turn-around time 7 days  
Specimen: Whole blood  
Collection Device: Clot (Red) or SST(Gold) tube
Specimen Labeling: Test subject to CLIA regulations and required 2 patient identifiers on specimen container and order forms  
Volume: Serum: 1.0 mL;   Minimum: 0.25 mL  
Storage/Transport:

Centrifuge and aliquot serum into sterile leak proof tube, within 2 hours of collection.

Prior to and during shipment:  Store serum at 2-8°C.

Shipping instructions, including specimen-handling requirements during transport:
Package and ship as UN3373 Category B, Biological Substance. Place in biohazard bag with absorbent material. Refrigerated specimen should be shipped with frozen gel-packs.  Transport via NPHL ground courier (NPHL brown shipper not required). If courier not available, contact Client Services (866) 290-1406 to arrange pickup.
See instructions and shipping address: http://nphl.org/

 
Unacceptable: Severely lipemic, icteric or hemolyzed samples; heat-inactivated serum; samples that have undergone multiple freeze thaw cycles  
Specimen Stability: 2-8°C for 7 days, if >7 days, ≤-20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.  
Reference Interval: Negative - No significant level of detectable Zika IgM antibody.
Positive - IgM antibody to Zika virus detected, reflexed for confirmation testing  
Reportable Disease: A positive result is reportable as Arbovirus infection under Title 173, report within 7 days  
Comments: Pre-approval needed from state or local health department. Send documented approval to NPHL@unmc.edu or call (402) 559-9444.

Use for patients whose symptoms began, or whose documented exposure occurred, at least 14 days prior to testing. Should also be used as follow-up for patients with negative serum and urine results from molecular testing performed ?14 days after symptom onset.

Substantial serological cross-reactivity exists among the flaviviruses (Dengue virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus and West Nile Virus) and current IgM antibody assays cannot reliable distinguish among them. Therefore an IgM positive result in a Zika IgM ELISA test will be reflexed for confirmation testing using RT-PCR and/or plaque-reduction neutralization testing which will result in a delay in the reporting of final results.

Molecular detection of Zika virus RNA can be performed on specimens collected after 7days of symptom onset. Refer to the Zika Virus RNA Detection (link to actual page) test directory information.

For more information, please review the current clinical guidelines for Zika virus testing at: www.cdc.gov/zika/.  
Revised: 2/28/2021 
If you have questions about proper specimen collection, please call NPHL Client Services at (402) 559-2440 or toll free at (800) 334-0459.

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