When you're sick with some kind of infection, it's crucial to quickly figure out what's causing it. But if it's a viral infection, identifying the exact type of virus is often a laborious and time-consuming process.

A group of researchers at the University of Texas, Austin have come up with a way to detect the presence of a single virus in a person's urine. The researchers think it could be applied to detect the presence of any virus, from Zika to HIV. Their work was published this week in the journal, PNAS.

The technique, called a digital electrochemical immunosensor, uses an extremely thin electrode. The electrode, which is thinner than a human cell, is placed in a sample of urine from an infected person. Then researchers add enzymes and antibodies that are naturally attracted to the particular virus that they are trying to detect. If a virus is present, the enzymes and antibodies will stick to it, creating clumps that are big enough for the tool to detect. At least one of those clumps will bump into the electrode and, once it does, the collision will create a boost in electricity, which lets the researchers know that the virus is present.