Your healthcare provider will need a blood sample to test for mono. Several factors may cause a false negative, including: If you get a negative monospot test result but you continue to be sick with the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis, your doctor may want to do another test along with the EBV blood test. But this test has a high rate of false negatives. The presence of antibodies to EBNA means that the infection occurred in the past. In: Bronze M, ed. Medscape. And I still have a sore throat. A mono test may be ordered when a person has symptoms that a health care professional suspects are due to infectious mononucleosis. However, you can still get it at any point in the future. Beyond 48 hours of the symptoms appearing, there is a risk of receiving a false negative test result. What could this be?? Mono test was negative! - HealthBoards Message Boards Updated September 1, 2021. Its common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations that usually occur about three days to two weeks after a person gets sick. K Health articles are all written and reviewed by MDs, PhDs, NPs, or PharmDs and are for informational purposes only. COVID-19 diagnostic testing Can the Epstein-Barr Virus Lead to Leukemia? ? If you continue to have symptoms after the test has indicated a negative result, it is a good idea to be retested. We asked the help of Dr. Rizza Mira, our resident medical reviewer for KYDNA, on everything there is to know about mononucleosis testing. Despite my fatigue, I played until the end of that school year. What Else Could It Be? What Are False Positives and False Negatives? | Live Science If you do have mono, there is no cure but there are steps you can take to relieve symptoms: Mono usually goes away on its own after a few weeks, although the fatigue may last a few months. If this test is administered within the first few weeks of becoming infected with mono, you may have a false-negative result. After that, you may have a slight throbbing at the site. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Accessed September, 8 2021. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003454.htm, A.D.A.M. If you continue to have symptoms after the test has indicated a negative result, it is a good idea to be retested. A false-positive test result shows that you have a disease when you actually don't. . There are different reasons for this, some of which we will cover in this article. Best Food Sensitivity Test To Take At Home (2023), The Best DNA Tests (for Health, Ancestry, and Ethnicity), Best At-Home Allergy & Intolerance Tests (2023), We Took The Viome Gut Test Heres Our Verdict, Different viruses cause mononucleosis or mono, The most common cause is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Different tests can diagnose infectious mononucleosis, including antibody testing, Mono testing is usually done with a sample of your blood, You may not need to do anything to prepare for the test, Swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Symptoms for about 2 weeks. She persisted, asking them to run more tests, and I was admitted to the hospital after my heart rate spiked from 42 to 180 just from standing up. When the Test is Negative - monotreatment.com Both of us tested negative at 6 weeks mark with CMIA duo Lab test, but i had symptoms similar to mono 1.5 weeks later, fatigue and mild rash are still present. Ask your doctor about any follow-up procedures or steps that can help make sure your test results are accurate. They may press your finger lightly to squeeze the blood. We avoid using tertiary references. After your test is over, you will be asked to wait in the exam room or a waiting room until the results are ready. The mono test looks for those antibodies in your blood. Accessed September, 11 2021. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002223.htm, A.D.A.M. During my hospital stay, doctors finally started to put everything together, and I was tested for mono again. 2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Diagnosing mono isn't the easiest, but it's important so you can avoid fatigue and other related symptoms, and treat it ASAP. However, most symptoms go away quickly. The test can find both a current and past infection. Accessed September 12, 2021. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/false-negative-test-result, National Cancer Institute. As with any blood test, theres a slight risk of bleeding, bruising, or infection at the puncture site. If you have the virus, your body will produce different types of antibodies to help combat the infection. Tested Negative for Strep Throat? But I knew something was seriously wrong when I collapsed mid-workout. My results came back negative, and I was told that I had the flu. Specific EBV serology panels can be confusing. infection can also have the same symptoms. Timing of the sample: If the sample is taken too early in the sickness, it can give you a false negative. My monospot test is negative but I have symptoms. A false negative is a test result that indicates a person does not have a disease or condition when the person actually does have it, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). (To put that in perspective, the flu affects about 300,000 out of every million Americans annually, per the Centers for Disease Control.). Results are ready within 3-5 minutes. The technician will go over the reason for the test as well as the benefits, side effects, and risks, and get your permission to perform the lab test. Also known as the kissing disease, EBV is usually spread through saliva. You may have swelling, tenderness, inflammation, bruising, or persistent bleeding at the injection site. I left his office feeling like my worries weren't valid, even though they felt very real. Common questions about infectious mononucleosis Medscape. Meanwhile, the test can show a false-positive result for people with other diseases, such as: If you have these conditions, the EBV test may be better for diagnosing a mono infection. There typically is nothing else you need to do to prepare for your test unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. I was told I should quit soccer or risk of damaging my heart further. (2010) A prospective study of Epstein-Barr virus antibodies and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This virus belongs to the herpes virus familyalso known as the human herpes virus.4. In patients with symptoms consistent with infectious mononucleosis, the results of a mono test indicate whether heterophile antibodies are present. A mononucleosis spot test helps detect the presence of heterophile antibodies in your blood. Mononucleosis tests (including the monospot test and EBV antibody test) are blood tests. A week ago, my fever topped out at 103.8. The Epstein-Barr virus test is a blood test that determines if your body is producing antibodies and mounting an immune response against EBV [ 2 ]. Biochemistry, immunoglobulin M. In: StatPearls. Also known as human herpesvirus 4, EBV is a member of the herpes virus family. Complete blood count (CBC) may be done to help confirm the diagnosis of mono and rule out other infections or complications of mono. If you are still experiencing symptoms after two weeks, it would be a good idea to see your doctor. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. The cost of your test will depend on a few factors, such as: In general, a mono test on its own is not an expensive lab test. A medical professional, such as a medical technologist, will collect your blood specimen. Learn what causes mono and how, Technically, yes, mono can be considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI). While less common, transmission may also occur through blood and semen during sexual contact, blood transfusions, and organ transplantations. Although most people get infected with EBV in their lifetime, not everyone develops symptoms of mono. No signs of mono ? Frequently Asked Questions The diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis (mono) is usually made based on the symptoms, findings in a physical examination, and blood tests. Most people contract it in early childhood and young adulthood; however, anyone can get the virus, at any age and from anyone. (1993). First, the area is cleansed with alcohol or another type of disinfectant. In: Hirsch MS, Kaplan SL, eds. Your doctor or a health expert can order mono testing if they suspect your symptoms are due to infectious mono. But here's the thing: By losing soccer, I found a new love for fitness, something that makes me feel happy and full again. Many do not develop symptoms of mono, but they become carriers. The EBV test is also known as EBV antibodies. Its a blood test used to identify an EBV infection. A positive test indicates the presence of heterophile antibodies. Dr. Semenovskaya specializes in emergency medicine, and received her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College. Patient Presentation A 10-year-old male came went to his private medical doctor's office with a sore throat. A negative result may indicate that you dont have infectious mono. RPR Test: Purpose, Procedure, and Results "If youre a person at risk for severe Covid disease, I dont think you should stop with the antigen test, because we can treat you," Campbell said. The sickness typically lasts about four weeks. What Causes a False Positive Monospot Test? I advocate for myself. A positive monospot result means there are specific antibodies, called heterophile antibodies, present in the blood and you have mono. The tests caught 78% of symptomatic cases but 39% among asymptomatic athletes. The virus typically causes no symptoms in children. Your provider may use a monospot to get fast results. To determine whether a patient has infectious mononucleosis, a mono test is administered to look for the presence of certain antibodies. A positive correlation between the precursor frequency of cytotoxic lymphocytes to autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells and antibody titer level against Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen in healthy seropositive individuals. She also has a public health degree and units in nutrition and dietetics. Still thinks it was mono i had. Our review round-up page has all the information you need to make an informed decision.