Question

The patient was a 62-year old female who underwent a cardiac transplant 4 months earlier for an idiopathic cardiomyopathy. At the time of transplant she was seropositive for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and seronegative for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses. Her heart donor was CMV seropositive and HIV-, hepatitis B-, and hepatitis C- negative. She was put on increased doses of immunosuppressive agents to control rejection. One week prior to her admission, she complained of malaise, fatigue, a low-grade fever, and mild dyspnea (difficulty in breathing) on exertion. Molecular testing of her blood detected a virus load at 2,800 copies/ml. What was the likely viral etiology of her complaints?

Select one:

a. Hepatitis C virus.

b. CMV.

c. Hepatitis B virus.

d. HIV.

Answer 1

Option b-CMV

Here the patient and Donor is Seropositive for CMV,which means that There is Antibodies for CMV in their Plasma-----Which means that they have prior CMV infection.It is a Fact that CMV virus usually becomes inactive (dormant) in healthy people without specific treatment ,But CMV is never completely cleared from the body and can get reactivated in condition such as immune suppression

Since ,During Cardiac Transplantation,Patient took immunosuppression to prevent Cardiac rejection-there is A chance for reactivation of this CMV virus.

Its Symptoms Include-fever.night sweats,sore throat,tiredness, muscle pain and weight loss.

Also,Cardiac transplant recipients are very susceptible and succum to infections caused by

1.cytomegalovirus

2.Epstein-Barr virus

3.bacteria like staphylococcus