A 5-Year-Old Patient Is Suspected of Having Infectious Mononucleosis

A 5-year-old patient is suspected of having infectious mononucleosis.The patient's blood smear reveals 55% reactive lymphocytes along with a WBC count of 15 x 10⁹/L.The heterophile antibody test is negative.IgG and IgM antibodies to EBV both come back positive.What is the best explanation for these results?

A) 50% of children under the age of 10 do not have a positive heterophile test when infected with EBV.
B) The patient does not have EBV but rather acute lymphoid leukemia.
C) The serologic tests are false positive for IgG and IgM antibodies to EBV.
D) The heterophile test is never positive in children under 10 years of age.