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.