Epstein Barr Virus Early Antigen IgM Test

The Epstein Barr Virus belongs to the herpes virus family. It is a most common virus infecting the majority of people around the world. This virus commonly affects adults and adolescents and causes a disease called infectious mononucleosis, or mono in them. The EBV does not have any effect on children. The mono disease is also called as the kissing disease and it spreads through saliva. The EBV early antigen IgG & IgM test provides an effective method of identifying the mono disease or EBV infection. This test specifically detects the antibodies produced against EBV antigens.

Wear a half-sleeved shirt on as full-sleeved shirt might pose difficulty in pulling up the sleeves. Do not wear sweater or jacket. No special preparation is required for this test and you can continue any medication that you are taking by informing your doctor. If your blood sample is needed for other tests then fasting may be required in some cases. Please kindly follow the instructions given by the lab.

If no EBV antibodies are found in the blood serum, then the patient does not have the mono disease. If VCA IgG antibodies are present in the blood serum then, an EBV infection has occurred at some time recently or in the past. If VCA IgM antibodies are present and EBNA antibodies are absent in the blood serum then, an EBV infection has occurred recently. If EBNA antibodies are present in the blood serum then, the infection has occurred sometime in the past.

About 1 ml or just 2 teaspoons of the blood sample will be drawn from your body. This test needs to be conducted in a well-equipped diagnostic lab or medical centre with the Epstein-Barr-Virus-Early-Antigen-IgM testing facility. The skin on the arm is cleaned with an alcohol pad. In the next step, the needle will be inserted into the body through the vein which is easily visible over the cleaned skin. The blood sample will be collected through the tube attached to the needle which contains the serum gel. The tube is separated from the needle and closed with a lid and with the patient’s name on it. The blood sample tube is shaken down to remove serum from the clot and then it is sent to the research laboratory for examination.