Antibody blood test  CMV-Igg-Igm

 

About the CMV virus

Cytomegalovirus CMV- This is a virus found in most of the population, causes fever, feeling tired, body aches, sore throat, swollen glands in the neck (especially in children) and other symptoms. There are people who are exposed to this virus and they are not even aware of it and have no symptoms. Those with a strong immune system the symptoms can be weakened.

The CMV virus (cytomegalovirus) is a virus that causes an infectious disease that can endanger two main populations: the first is the population of people with a damaged immune system (for example, AIDS patients and organ transplant recipients who use drugs that suppress the immune system). An example of symptoms in people with weak immune systems can include:

Digestive system problems, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, lung problems, such as difficulty breathing and dry cough, liver, eye, nervous system or heart problems.

The second population that is at risk of contracting the virus is fetuses. The infection is caused by contact with the secretions of a person infected with this virus.

 

Estimates say that the majority of the adult population in Israel has been infected at one point or another in life with the virus, and has developed the appropriate antibodies against it. Most people will be infected with the virus in childhood, and will usually not be aware of it.

 

How is the presence of the cytomegalovirus diagnosed?

Infection with the cytomegalovirus produces two antibodies in the body: in the first stage, lgM antibodies are formed in the body, which remain in the body for a short time, while after a few weeks from the date of infection, lgG antibodies are formed in the body. Antidotes of the second type will remain in the body for a long time.

 

Therefore, when a blood test is performed to detect the cytomegalovirus, the results are divided into two main components:

 

A positive result in a test for the presence of the lgM antibody will indicate a recent infection with the virus.

 

A positive result in a test for the presence of the lgG antibody will indicate the presence of the antibody in the body due to an infection that occurred at some time. 

 

In many cases, we would like a positive result for the presence of the lgG antibody (which means, in fact, that the body has developed antibodies to the virus in the past), while a negative result for the presence of the lgM antibody (in order to rule out infection near the time of pregnancy, for example).

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Cytomegalovirus and pregnancy

One of the common reasons for performing a blood test to detect antibodies to CMV is the fact that a pregnant woman who was infected with the virus for the first time only near pregnancy, may transmit the virus to the fetus, causing him to suffer from a congenital disease and serious health problems for the newborn such as: hearing loss, seizures, problems Eyes, learning and growth problems.

 

The purpose of a blood test to detect the cytomegalovirus in a pregnant woman or a woman who intends to become pregnant is to understand whether infection with the virus occurred at a time close to pregnancy. If the woman has not yet become pregnant, she will be advised to wait about six months until the date of becoming pregnant in order not to infect the fetus. If the woman is pregnant, she will be advised to perform an amniocentesis in the 22nd week of pregnancy, in order to understand whether the fetus has been infected with the virus.

 

How is the test performed?

The test is performed by a blood test.

 

Is it necessary to fast or certain preparation ?

No, there is no need for any kind of fasting or preparation.

 

How long will it take to get answers?

 

Answers will be provided to the personal email within a few days. Contact us for details.

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You can enter the full list of viral diseases and additional blood tests.

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