I would like to know what the specific test/name is called for the EBV virus.
Also is there a PCR testing for EBV?
Hi, there are a couple of tests:
There is the very specific test for ongoing disease activity which is the heterophile antibody test which is also called the monospot in Canada. There are also some tests which are less specific for ongoing infection including the viral capsid antigen or VCA-IgM AND IgG. There are some other tests which are done on tissue in the pathology lab, but this is only for people who've had bone marrow aspirates usually.
PCR IS available for EBV, but usually only for research purposes.
Well, I don't think you really need to request anything. If your doctor wants to diagnose active EBV infection, s/he will send the appropriate testing. And what do you mean by "outbreak" of EBV? If you had an acute EBV syndrome such as mononucleosis, the monospot test will be positive for about 3 months. Later on, certain other antibodies become positive, but all they tell you is that you were infected in the past, but give no other information. EBV reactivation normally doesn't occur in normal individuals unless the person becomes profoundly immunosuppressed as in an organ transplant, cytotoxic chemotherapy or a hematologic malignancy with significant bone marrow involvement.
Unfortunately the healthcare system here is not as advance as Canada or the United States.
I had to request for most of my test and medication since the doctors here are not "proactive" mentally-based healthcare.
Even my diabetes test was first denied by my then endo doctor until he gave in to my demands and to his surprise, I am pre-diabetic.
Also I was misdiagnosed of my chicken pox outbreak as the measles. You are very lucky to be living in Canada and to be able to render the medical type of services they have there.
These things happen because of the lack of malpractice lawsuits and rarely do clinics and doctors have malpractice insurance here, turning away an attorney to take a malp. case to court.
So unlike your type of healthcare service in Canada we need request everything here.
Unfortunately the healthcare system here is not as advance as Canada or the United States.
I had to request for most of my test and medication since the doctors here are not "proactive" mentally-based healthcare.
Even my diabetes test was first denied by my then endo doctor until he gave in to my demands and to his surprise, I am pre-diabetic.
Also I was misdiagnosed of my chicken pox outbreak as the measles. You are very lucky to be living in Canada and to be able to render the medical type of services they have there.
These things happen because of the lack of malpractice lawsuits and rarely do clinics and doctors have malpractice insurance here, turning away an attorney to take a malp. case to court.
So unlike your type of healthcare service in Canada we need request everything here.
Thank you,
Nexis
Interesting--which country are you from? Also, you said you had a chicken pox outbreak? Was it chicken pox or shingles? In other words, did you have chicken pox as a child? Is chicken pox what you were referring to when you said "EBV outbreak", because chicken pox is not caused by EBV; rather VZV (Varicella-Zoster virus).
I had chicken pox 15 years ago as an adult and believe I had EBV like symptoms 21 months ago, which the doctors still don't know what it was. Obviously those two are literally separate symptoms. I still have a scar on my face from the chicken pox where the "bubble" appeared which I scratched - another non-EBV symptom/condition.
I had chicken pox 15 years ago as an adult and believe I had EBV like symptoms 21 months ago, which the doctors still don't know what it was. Obviously those two are literally separate symptoms. I still have a scar on my face from the chicken pox where the "bubble" appeared which I scratched - another non-EBV symptom/condition.
Well the term "EBV-like symptoms" is a dubious one because there are no symptoms of EBV infection which are specific at all. The same symptoms which are possible with EBV infection can be seen in hundreds and hundreds of conditions.
If a patient presents with a fever, a cough productive of green sputum and has evidence of an infiltrate on chest x-ray, well then there aren't too many possibilities. In other words, that is a very SPECIFIC presentation. On the other hand, any symptoms you see with EBV (like lethargy, avolition, loss of appetite) can be seen with SO many different things from cancer to simply being tired. With all that in mind, I'm not sure how EBV serology would help you.
Are you a medical-licensed doctor in Canada? You seems to be a pro at providing medical advice and symptoms which only a medical doctor would know.
Yet regardless once the EBV virus enters the body, its dormant for a life time so the testing would be positive. That was my initial question so the test will be significant to diagnose if I have contracted the EBV virus regardless of what symptoms or timeline.
So that's the testing I will request for, in some ways the doctors love been bossed around here obviously!
