Mother Nature uses a "fail-safe system" to prevent inappropriate activation of the immune system. Provide several examples of this strategy.
Read through the following scenario, then answer the questions below: A 2-year old boy presents with high fever and very swollen lymph nodes in the neck. The pediatrician orders a series of viral titers to measure exposure to 3 viruses. Below are the results of IgM and IgG
antibody titers.
Epstein -Barr virus
Igm negative
IgG negative
Cytomegalovirus
IgM positive
IgG negative
Coxsackie virus
IgM negative
IgG positive
Answer the following questions and be sure to explain your reasoning:
- Which virus is this boy currently infected by? Why?
- Which virus has this boy been infected by in the past? Why?
- Which virus has the boy never been exposed to? Why?