🔥 EBV Mono Diagnosis — Monospot & Heterophile Antibody Simulator

Week One — Why the Monospot Test Often Misses Early EBV

Placeholder: heterophile antibodies have not yet accumulated to a detectable titer.

• Negative: Typical Monospot (placeholder short note)
• Low: Heterophile titer (placeholder short note)
• Prodrome: Symptom stage (placeholder short note)
• ~1 wk later: Repeat testing (placeholder short note)

Placeholder heading: early seronegative window

Placeholder text describing why early testing often yields false negatives.

Acute Phase — VCA IgM as the Earliest Specific Marker

Placeholder: VCA IgM rises fastest of the specific EBV antibodies.

• Peak: VCA IgM (placeholder short note)
• ~week 1-2: Onset (placeholder short note)
• ~4-8 wks: Duration (placeholder short note)
• High: Specificity (placeholder short note)

Placeholder heading: acute IgM kinetics

Placeholder text describing the acute VCA IgM antibody response curve.

The Heterophile Positivity Window

Placeholder: Monospot sensitivity peaks a few weeks into illness.

• Wks 2-5: Peak sensitivity (placeholder short note)
• Lower: Pediatric caveat (placeholder short note)
• ~25%: False negatives (placeholder short note)
• Heterophile Ab: Test basis (placeholder short note)

Placeholder heading: heterophile antibody biology

Placeholder text describing nonspecific heterophile antibody agglutination.

VCA IgG — The Long-Term Serologic Signature

Placeholder: VCA IgG rises after IgM and persists for life.

• Lifelong: VCA IgG (placeholder short note)
• ~week 2-3: Rise onset (placeholder short note)
• Past exposure: Clinical use (placeholder short note)
• IgM decline: Pairs with (placeholder short note)

Placeholder heading: IgG seroconversion

Placeholder text describing durable VCA IgG antibody persistence.

EBNA — Marking a Resolved, Past Infection

Placeholder: EBNA antibodies appear late and confirm past infection.

• ~wk 6-12: EBNA onset (placeholder short note)
• Past infection: Meaning (placeholder short note)
• Acute case: Absent + IgM+ (placeholder short note)
• Lifelong: Persistence (placeholder short note)

Placeholder heading: late EBNA seroconversion

Placeholder text describing EBNA appearance and its diagnostic meaning.