Mono - Ronnie99

[desert_rider]

Hi Ronnie,

I recently got my EBV and Mono results. The EBV viral load is negative, but the Mono turned out to be weakly positive. Any idea does that mean I have Mono. I have exactly same symptoms for Mono - Extreme Fatigue, Chills, Sore Throat. My Doc says I don't have Mono and the weakly positive result is a false positive since he also did EBV viral load and antibody. I am at loss why I am losing my strength day after day. Mono has also been linked to CFS.  

Any comments Ronnie??

Cheers
Andrew

[Ronnie99]

Andrew: my understanding of mononucleosis is as follows: Mononucleosis is a somewhat non-specific description for a viral illness because it can be caused by more than one virus. It is most often caused by Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) but also can be caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV). The viral load test for EBV would be done to see if you are actively sick with the virus at this time, and it sounds as though you are not. Note though that Mono and EBV are not really different illnesses, Mono is a condition that CAN be casued by EBV, but also can be caused by  other viruses. Think of the term mono like the illness term "cold". A cold can be caused by several viruses, therefore you don't get tested for a "cold" just as you don't get tested for "mono" per se. There are tests done to detect EBV and CMV, but not for mono. You'll need to have your doctor clarify exactly which tests you were given.

Below is a link to a site describing the illness "mononucleosis". The confusing thing about diagnosing mononucleosis is that it must be established as I understand it that the infection with EBV or CMV is recent. The vast majority of adults already have these viruses in their system for life, so just testing for the antibodies is not meaningful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_mononucleosis

There are specific tests that will tell a doctor if the infection is recent, but if you'll need your doctor to explain the tests he/she has run so far and their meaning.

[desert_rider]

Thanks Ronnie for the insight. The Doc told me both the EBV and CMV antibodies are not recent ones. But I am concerned about the weakly positive mono spot test. Should I ask my Doc to repeat this test?  

Also, thanks for the wiki link.