Infectious disease markers (IDMs) is test performed to screen for viruses.
To a patient with a compromised immune system, exposure to infection-causing organisms may be problematic and sometimes life-threatening. All patients and potential bone marrow transplant donors will be tested for a variety of IDMs or viruses. These include tests for:
Antibodies to HIV (the AIDS virus) and the related viruses, HTLV-I and HTLV-II
p24 antigen to detect early HIV infection that may not have produced an antibody response as yet
Hepatitis B and C viruses
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
Epstein-Barr Virus, the mononucleosis virus (EBV)
Syphilis (bacterial infection)
Potential donors, related and unrelated, are tested for the same IDMs, although HSV and EBV tests are not routinely done.
