What does the BK stand for in BK virus?

What does the BK stand for in BK virus?

BK virus is an abbreviation of the name of the first patient whom the virus was isolated from. Usually, primary infection is occurred during childhood then the virus could be latent through life, especially in the kidneys and urinary system (1).

Is the BK virus contagious?

The BK virus may be spread if you have contact with infected blood or body fluids, such as saliva. It can spread from one person to another during an organ transplant or from a mother to her baby during delivery.

What is BK viral load?

Abstract. BK virus (BKV) is a nonenveloped, double-stranded DNA virus of the polyomavirus family that primarily affects immunocompromised people. BKV may cause nephropathy in renal transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, resulting in renal dysfunction and, possibly, graft loss.

Is there a cure for BK virus?

BK virus, first isolated in 1971, is a significant risk factor for renal transplant dysfunction and allograft loss. Unfortunately, treatment options for BK virus infection are limited, and there is no effective prophylaxis.

How is BK virus diagnosed?

SCREENING TESTS BK virus is detectable in both blood and urine. After BK reactivation, the virus is first detectable in the urine, with viremia developing several weeks later. There have been isolated case reports of patients developing viremia without viruria, but this is unusual.

What kind of virus is the BK virus?

BK Virus (BKV) is a member of the polyomavirus family. The virus was named after the initials of the patients from whom they were first isolated. Share.

What do transplant patients need to know about BK virus?

BK Virus: What Transplant Patients Need to Know. Symptoms can feel like a common cold. Once you get a BK virus infection, the virus stays in your system for good. But it does not cause a problem for most people. This is called latent, or like being ‘asleep’ in your body. Sometimes, when your immune system is not working well, the virus wakes up.

What is the management guideline for BK virus?

BK Virus (BKV) Management Guideline: July 2017 General Principles: 1 week later BK Virus (BKV) Management Guideline: July 2017 BK virus has up to a 60-80% seroprevalence rate in adults due to a primary oral or respiratory exposure in childhood.

When does BK virus wake up in the body?

This is called latent, or like being ‘asleep’ in your body. Sometimes, when your immune system is not working well, the virus wakes up. Then it can cause symptoms of infection. BK virus is also called polyomavirus.