Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first isolated from a rhesus monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947. In 1968, isolation from human hosts occurred in residents of Nigeria. Since then, multiple studies have confirmed ZIKV antibody in humans from a multitude of countries in Africa and parts of Asia. In 2015, ZIKV first appeared outside of Africa and Asia when it was isolated in Brazil where is has caused a minor outbreak following the 2014 FIFA World Cup. ZIKV is closely related to other mosquito-borne flaviviruses such as the dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis viruses. ZIKV causes a disease known as Zika fever, which is characterized by a macropapular rash covering the body, fever, joint pain, and malaise. Although there have yet to be serious complications arising from ZIKV, it's appearance across the globe, mosquito-driven transmission cycle, and possible spread via sexual contact make ZIKV an important emerging pathogen whose global impact is yet to be discovered. Diagnosis for ZIKV infection include PCR tests to detect viral DNA as well as additional tests to detect ZIKV antibody (IgM) in serum. IgM for ZIKV is typically detectable around 3-5 days after infection, but cross-reactivity with closely related dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses are possible. These cross-reactive results were more common in patients that denoted signs of previous flavivirus infection than patients with primary ZIKV infection. For best diagnosis practices, serum samples should be analyzed as early as possible with a second test 2 to 3 weeks after that.