Editor,

We first want to thank the writer for their interest and agree that the “urine diagnostic tool is useful for diagnostic of infectious infection”. While it is true that secretion of Zika virus in urine does not occur in all phases of infection, we believe that the reports we evaluated support that Zika virus can be detected at higher levels and for a longer timeframe after initial infection than blood, and may allow for the detection of more Zika infection cases.

We like to thank the writer for referring to a new method that was also just published. We are excited about what new technologies may soon develop to address this unmet need, and are also seeking to address this.

Great efforts are being made to reduce the cost of molecular testing and it remains one of the most sensitive FDA approved tests currently available for clinical use. Furthermore, molecular testing allows for vector disease surveillance. We are excited in research to pursue fast and accurate molecular diagnosis of Zika virus and other emerging viruses that is shed in the urine.