Epstein barr type viruses

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Typical symptoms of infectious mononucleosis include— extreme fatigue fever sore throat head and body aches swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits swollen liver or spleen or both rash.

EBV is spread by saliva through— kissing sharing drinks and food using the same cups, eating utensils, or toothbrushes having contact with toys that children have drooled on.

Chan School of Public Health researchers. MS is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that attacks the myelin sheaths protecting neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

Its cause is not known, yet one of the top suspects is EBV, a herpes virus that can cause infectious mononucleosis and establishes a latent, lifelong infection of the host. To determine the connection between EBV and MS, the researchers conducted a study among more than 10 million young adults on active duty in the U. The team analyzed serum samples taken biennially by the military and determined the soldiers' EBV status at time of first sample and the relationship between EBV infection and MS onset during the period of active duty.

In this cohort, the risk of MS increased fold after infection with EBV but was unchanged after infection with other viruses. Serum levels of neurofilament light chain, a biomarker of the nerve degeneration typical in MS, increased only after EBV infection. Ascherio says that the delay between EBV infection and the onset of MS may be partially due the disease's symptoms being undetected during the earliest stages and partially due to the evolving relationship between EBV and the host's immune system, which is repeatedly stimulated whenever latent virus reactivates.

Department of Veterans Affairs. Site Menu Home. Search Health Topics. Search the NIH Guide. NIH Research Matters. April 24, Epstein-Barr virus and autoimmune diseases. At a Glance Researchers found a mechanism that may explain why the Epstein-Barr virus is associated with certain autoimmune illnesses such as lupus. Most people get infected with EBV at some point in their lives.

EBV spreads most commonly through bodily fluids, primarily saliva. EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis , also called mono, and other illnesses. Many people become infected with EBV in childhood. EBV infections in children usually do not cause symptoms, or the symptoms are not distinguishable from other mild, brief childhood illnesses. People who get symptoms from EBV infection, usually teenagers or adults, get better in two to four weeks.

However, some people 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.

This does not always cause symptoms, but people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop symptoms if EBV reactivates.