Zika disease caused by Zika Virus (ZIKV) spreads to people usually infected by Aedes mosquito the same mosquito that also causes Chikungunya, and Dengue [1-2]. Until recently, Zika has not been recognized as a significant threat because its symptoms are relatively mild which can accommodate fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes [3-4]. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ZIKV to be an international public health emergency, urged by growing concern that it could cause birth defects [5-6].
ZIKV linked with microcephaly, a severe neurological disorder which causes infants to be born with unusually small heads and outcomes in brain damage, and serious developmental problems [6-8]. Brazil has been hit hard by the dangerous fever with up to 1.5 million people reportedly infected. Health officials say they have recorded around 3,700 cases of microcephaly [6-8]. There are unmet needs for nucleic acids new diagnostics that can be applied at the point-of-care to detect Zika Virus (ZIKV) infections. A highly sensitive, simple paper strip molecular test that detects ZIKV at the point-of-care will be developed.
