Generally, the illness is less severe in young children and may mimic the symptoms of other common childhood illnesses, which may explain why it is less commonly diagnosed or recognized in this younger age group. There are two general types of blood tests for signs of mono. The first is called a monospot test (or a spot test). Monospot relies on clumping of horse red blood cells by mononucleosis antibodies presumed to be in a person’s serum. The other test is called the heterophil antibodies test. This test looks for antibodies (proteins produced by the immune system to counter the virus) that possess the unique ability to cause clumping of red cells taken from sheep’s blood.
Mono is most often diagnosed in adolescents and young adults, with a peak incidence at 15-17 years of age. However, it can also be seen in children.
Jan 112012
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