There are other challenges to getting tested, too. For instance, because the PCR test looks for the actual virus, it's only useful if you get it done in the few weeks before your body gets rid of the virus. The CDC recommends PCR testing for those who have traveled to Zika-affected areas within two weeks of returning, Dr. Silverman says: "It's a focused window.”The antibody test has a larger window within which to work, but it shows cross-reactivity between Zika and similar viruses. That means that if a patient previously had dengue or chikungunya, those antibodies could show up on the test as a false positive for Zika.Hopefully, this process will be easier one day, especially in rural areas. Keith Pardee , PhD, and his lab at the University of Toronto have been working on one possible way to make that happen: Using a platform they originally designed to help diagnose Ebola in the field, they've developed a quick, cheap test that doctors and researchers can program anywhere.Once a sample has been taken and prepared for testing, the genetic information is copied using a process called isothermal amplification. PCR accomplishes this with more intensive work, including cycling the sample through different temperatures. But with this test, everything can be done at a single temperature, Dr. Pardee says. Crucially, this test can also distinguish between Zika and similar viruses as well as identify different strains of Zika. The whole process can take as little as an hour and can be done for under a dollar.For most of us, the Zika virus is a mild infection at worst. But for those who are pregnant, there’s more to worry about: Zika's most well-known and scary effect is its ability to cause birth defects. If someone is infected while pregnant, the virus can cause microcephaly in the developing fetus. Babies with this condition have abnormally small heads and the potential for serious brain damage. So diagnosing people who are pregnant as early as possible and then monitoring their fetuses for abnormalities, is a difficult but important challenge.“Everyone gets an anatomy scan around 18-to-22 weeks as part of routine obstetric care,” explains Clark Johnson, MD, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a fellow with the Physicians for Reproductive Health . “But when you think there’s a Zika infection, you want to get [the patient] an ultrasound quickly to get a baseline with what’s going on with the fetal head.”The CDC recommends that those who are at risk for developing fetal effects of Zika get more routine ultrasounds to monitor the baby’s growth.Sadly, Dr. Johnson adds: “I would reinforce that there’s not exactly treatment for anyone who we think is infected — if you have someone who has or is at risk for developing microcephaly, [for example], there’s nothing to do about that until delivery.”That’s why timing is so crucial: "Abortion's part of the conversation," Dr. Johnson says. "If someone has symptoms of a Zika infection at 18 weeks, [one question might be] whether or not they want to keep the pregnancy." Indeed, a recent poll indicated that U.S. opinions on controversial late-term abortions may be swayed when Zika-related microcephaly enters the debate.Meanwhile, researchers are looking into whether currently available drugs might treat Zika . The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has several vaccines currently in development, one of which has already made it to human trials. But it could be years before any treatment or vaccine is fully approved and widely available.Funding for other Zika-fighting efforts is still in limbo. The CDC has provided Florida with $35 million in federal funds to help fight the spread of the virus and President Obama recently urged Congress to provide a plan for more funding as soon as it came back to session. But despite the pleas, the bill failed