Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also known as human herpesvirus 4, is a member of the herpes virus family. It is one of the most common human viruses. EBV is found all over the world and most people will be infected at some point in their lives.
EBV spreads most commonly through bodily fluids, primarily saliva. EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis (the “kissing” disease), also called mono, and other illnesses.
Symptoms of EBV infection can include fatigue, fever, inflamed throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, enlarged spleen, swollen liver and rash. Many people become infected with EBV in childhood. EBV infections in children often are asymptomatic or indistinguishable from other mild, brief childhood illnesses. Teenagers or adults typically get better in 2-4 weeks, but some may feel fatigued for several weeks or even months.
After you get an EBV infection, the virus becomes latent (inactive) in your body. In some cases the virus may reactivate. The official statement of the CDC is that this does not always cause symptoms, but people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop symptoms if EBV reactivates.
Recent research has linked EBV as a potential trigger for autoimmune disease. It has been implicated in up to a third of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and RA (rheumatoid arthritis) cases. Many rheumatologists now test RA patients for EBV. Unfortunately, there is much confusion about interpretation of these tests.
My current Epstein-Barr profile consists of the EBV, Ab VCA (viral Capsid Antigen), IgM EBV Early Antigen Ab, IgG; EBV ab VCA, IgG; EBV Nuclear Antigen Ab, IgG and Interpretation. This tests for current infection, past infection, recurrent infection and vulnerability to infection. It’s helpful to set up an Excel spreadsheet to interpret the results. However, my main interest is the recurrent infection.
