How do you get rid of the BK virus?
A BKV infection may go away on its own without treatment. If you take antirejection medicine, your healthcare provider may change or decrease your dose. You may also need any of the following: Medicines may be used to decrease pain, help your immune system, or kill the BK virus.
What type of virus is BK virus?
BK virus (BKV) belongs to the human Polyomaviridae, initially isolated from urine sample of a 29-year-old male patient with renal blockage and failure at 1971. BK virus is an abbreviation of the name of the first patient whom the virus was isolated from.
How does BK virus affect the body?
It can damage your new kidney and cause your body to reject it. How will I know if the BK virus is in my system? Your healthcare provider will check for signs of the virus in your system. They will check both before and after receiving your kidney transplant.
What medication is used to treat BK virus?
Cidofovir, an anti-viral agent with known nephrotoxic effects, has been successfully used in very low doses to treat patients with BKVAN, with serial measurement of the blood and urine BKV load with PCR assays.
Is BK virus curable?
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.
What is a high BK virus level?
A high level of BK viruria (≥ 25 million copies/mL) was found in 110 (30.1%) patients. At least 1 blood or biopsy BK test was available for all patients. Blood tests for BKV DNA were available for 361 patients, and 52 (14.4%) were positive.
How long does BK virus last?
Mild cases of BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis usually resolve spontaneously over a 2-week period with supportive care. With significant bleeding, severe urinary tract obstruction may occur because of clot formation.
What is a high number for BK virus?
What is a high level of BK virus?
What is BK virus in kidney?
BK virus (BKV) is a common opportunistic pathogen in kidney transplant recipients and one of the most challenging causes of allograft dysfunction and loss. This virus was named after a Sudanese kidney transplant recipient with ureteric stenosis who was the first patient to have BKV isolated from the urine.