Epstein–Barr virus infection

There are several forms of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. These include asymptomatic infections, the primary infection, infectious mononucleosis, and the progression of asymptomatic or primary infections to Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative diseases such as Burkitt's lymphoma, chronic active EBV infection, and the types types II and III pharyngeal carcinomas or Epstein-Barr virus-associated non-lymphoproliferative diseases such as some cases of the immune disorders of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosis; malignancies such as stomach cancers, soft tissue sarcomas, leiomyosarcoma, and undifferentiated type I nasopharyngeal cancer; and the childhood disorders of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and acute cerebellar ataxia. There are several forms of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. These include asymptomatic infections, the primary infection, infectious mononucleosis, and the progression of asymptomatic or primary infections to Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative diseases such as Burkitt's lymphoma, chronic active EBV infection, and the types types II and III pharyngeal carcinomas or Epstein-Barr virus-associated non-lymphoproliferative diseases such as some cases of the immune disorders of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosis; malignancies such as stomach cancers, soft tissue sarcomas, leiomyosarcoma, and undifferentiated type I nasopharyngeal cancer; and the childhood disorders of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and acute cerebellar ataxia. Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis are fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. Sometimes, a swollen spleen or liver involvement may develop. Heart problems or involvement of the central nervous system occurs only rarely, and infectious mononucleosis is almost never fatal. There are no known associations between active EBV infection and problems during pregnancy, such as miscarriages or birth defects. Although the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis usually resolve in 1 or 2 months, EBV remains dormant or latent in a few cells in the throat and blood for the rest of the person's life. Periodically, the virus can reactivate and is commonly found in the saliva of infected persons. Reactivated and post-latent virus may pass the placental barrier in (also seropositive) pregnant women via macrophages and therefore can infect the fetus. Also re-infection of prior seropositive individuals may occur. In contrast, reactivation in adults usually occurs without symptoms of illness. EBV also establishes a lifelong dormant infection in some cells of the body's immune system. A late event in a very few carriers of this virus is the emergence of Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, two rare cancers. EBV appears to play an important role in these malignancies, but is probably not the sole cause of disease.