Although many people may not be aware of it, almost all of us have been infected with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) at some point. This is an extremely ubiquitous virus: over 90% of the adult population is seropositive for EBV. The majority of people who become infected with EBV never have any symptoms of a primary infection, particularly if they are infected as children.

However, in cases where the primary infection is apparent, EBV manifests itself has infectious mononucleosis. This disease is characterized by malaise/prostration, fever, sore throat, and lymphadenopathy. Infectious mononucleosis is seen most commonly among adolescents and those of college age.

Oncogenesis in EBV has been closely studied (for some recent studies, see the "New Findings" listing), and the virus has been shown to cause at least two types of cancers and may be associated with many others. Oncogenesis in this virus is discussed more thoroughly below.

EBV is a very difficult virus to control as it is so ubiquitous, and it is often hard to tell without a blood test if someone has ever been infected. There is currently no vaccine, and the diseases the virus causes (whether mononucleosis or cancer) can only be treated symptomatically.

Esptein-Barr virus has been associated with several different types of cancer but most clearly with Burkitt lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders. There has been some postulated regarding EBV?s role in breast cancer and gastric carcinoma, but since EBV infection is so ubiquitous, it is very difficult to establish causation. The correlation is strongest for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (which has never been observed in the absence of an EBV infection) and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (which recedes quickly and completely once immune function is restored).

---

Created: March 1st, 2000
Updated: March 5th, 2000