Brazil finds Zika virus in saliva and urine

Zika has been identified in the saliva and urine of two patients infected by the virus, a leading Brazilian health institute said, adding that further studies are needed to determine if those fluids could transmit the infection.

Scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a public health institute, said they used genetic testing to identify the virus in samples from two patients while they had symptoms and were known to have Zika, the mosquito-borne viral infection that has sparked a global health scare.

It is the first time the virus has been detected in saliva and urine, scientists told reporters in Rio de Janeiro.