A team of researchers say they have developed a new test for Zika virus. They say the test can provide results quickly and costs less than other testing methods. It can also be easily transported, giving health care workers a way to diagnose the virus almost anywhere in the world. The Zika outbreak started about a year ago when health officials in Brazil began reporting cases of people being infected. Now, nearly 60 countries and territories have reported Zika cases. Most of those infected are thought to have been bitten by mosquitoes. The insects can carry the Zika virus. Some countries also have reported cases that appear to have spread through sexual contact. The World Health Organization says the world could face a severe public health crisis if the virus continues spreading. The WHO says scientists agree that Zika is the cause of two serious conditions: the nervous system disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome and the birth defect microcephaly. Babies with the birth defect have an unusually small head. Children with severe microcephaly usually do not live long.
